Department of Health and Social Care

Department of Health and Social Care: Cybersecurity

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) enhance cybersecurity and (b) protect personal data.

Will Quince: Being cyber secure and protecting personal data underpins everything we do in the Department. In accordance with the Government Cyber Security Strategy, we are working to ensure that our critical functions will be significantly hardened to cyber attack by 2025, with all Government organisations across the whole public sector being resilient to known vulnerabilities and attack methods no later than 2030. To date we have launched the policy, ‘Data saves lives: Reshaping health and social care with data’, the cyber security strategy to 2030, ‘A cyber resilient health and adult social care system in England’, and the Department’s annual report pointing out its data and cyber commitments which cements the Department’s alignment to the latest Government and legislative standards for data protection and security. More information is available at the following links:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/data-saves-lives-reshaping-health-and-social-care-with-datahttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cyber-security-strategy-for-health-and-social-care-2023-to-2030/a-cyber-resilient-health-and-adult-social-care-system-in-england-cyber-security-strategy-to-2030https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dhsc-annual-report-and-accounts-2021-to-2022

Department of Health and Social Care: Correspondence

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data their Department holds on the average response time to enquiries by Members; and what assessment they have made of the adequacy of that response time.

Will Quince: The Department continues to treat correspondence from parliamentarians as a priority and the Cabinet Office standard for responses is 20 working days. Volumes continue to be higher than they were pre-pandemic, and we are working though detailed recovery plans to improve our response rates.With regards to the timeliness of responses to enquiries received by members, the Cabinet Office published data on this for 2022 for all Government Departments on GOV.UK in March 2023, and will be publishing data for Q1 and Q2 2023 shortly. The 2022 data is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/data-on-responses-to-correspondence-from-mps-and-peers-2022

Hospitals: Staff

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to help support information-sharing on concerns about staff between (a) hospitals and (b) hospital departments.

Will Quince: National Health Service hospitals must comply with the NHS employment check standards, which set out the statutory and mandatory check requirements that employers must undertake as part of any recruitment, ongoing employment or redeployment within the NHS in England, including where staff move between hospitals. The standards are intended to support employers to ensure individuals are of sound character and have the appropriate qualifications, skills and competency to properly and safely perform the tasks required of them. These standards can be found at the following link:www.nhsemployers.orgIn July 2018, the Government commissioned Tom Kark KC to write a report and make recommendations in relation to the fit and proper persons test. The Government accepted the majority of the recommendations and NHS England has developed and recently introduced the Fit and Proper Person Framework. These improvements will help to prevent unfit board members from moving between NHS organisations. To support information sharing on senior leaders, fields have been added to the Electronic Staff Record system to capture an ongoing record of annual Fit and Proper Person testing.

Dental Services: Selby and Ainsty

Keir Mather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help increase access to NHS dentistry in Selby and Ainsty constituency.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Hospitals: Construction

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential merits of including the seven hospitals most affected by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in the New Hospitals Programme at the time the initial list of hospitals was drawn up in 2020.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS Trusts: Sexual Offences

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NHS trusts are required to have a dedicated policy to deal with sexual assault and harassment.

Will Quince: National Health Service organisations are required to have a policy that deals with sexual misconduct. In July 2022, NHS England established a Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Programme to build on safeguarding processes for protecting patients, improve victim support and focus on early intervention and prevention. On 4 September 2023, NHS England launched the health service’s first sexual safety charter. As part of this charter, every NHS trust and local health system in England will have a domestic abuse and sexual violence lead to support patients and staff to report incidents and access support.The charter also sets out to help protect staff from harassment and inappropriate behaviour. The charter is an agreement comprising of 10 pledges, including a commitment to provide staff with clear reporting mechanisms, training and support from managers.

Headaches: Medical Treatments

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of funding sphenopalatine ganglion block treatment on the NHS.

Will Quince: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has not made an assessment.NICE has published a clinical guideline (CG150) on the diagnosis and management of headaches in children aged over 12 years old and recommends several treatments for tension-type headache, migraine, cluster headache and medication overuse headache. If new evidence on the use of sphenopalatine ganglion block became available, then NICE would consider the impact it has on its current recommendations. NHS England also carefully reviewed the evidence to commission Sphenopalatine Ganglion Stimulation for Refractory Chronic Cluster Headache (Adults) in 2018, and concluded that there is not enough evidence to consider making the treatment available at this time. More information on the NHS evidence review is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Sphenopalatine-Ganglion-Stimulation-for-Refractory-Chronic-Cluster-Headache-adults.pdf NHS England can review this policy or consider a new policy for this treatment for a different clinical indication, in line with the published methods for clinical policy development, if a lead clinician considers that there is new published, peer reviewed evidence that should be considered.

NHS: Managers

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has taken recent steps to assess the competency of senior managers in the NHS; and what steps he is taking to improve accountability structures in the NHS.

Will Quince: Systems and processes are already in place to ensure the accountability of National Health Service directors. NHS England has recently strengthened these through the introduction of the Fit and Proper Person Framework. This will introduce a set of standard competencies for board directors, a means of retaining information regarding individual directors and a new board member reference template. The Framework is effective from 30 September 2023 and should be implemented by all boards by 31 March 2024.NHS England has reminded all NHS organisations of their obligations not to appoint any individual as a board director unless they satisfy all Fit and Proper Person requirements, including that they have not been responsible for, been privy to, contributed to or facilitated any serious misconduct or mismanagement.The Department and NHS England are considering whether further mechanisms are needed to hold senior NHS managers accountable, including the possibility of a disbarring system.

NHS: Contracts

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the awarding of NHS data contracts is (a) fair and (b) transparent.

Will Quince: NHS England is subject to Public Contracts Regulations (PCR) 2015 and conducts procurements in adherence to the PCR. The procurements for the Federated Data Platform, which is awaiting final approval, and Privacy Enhancing Technology, which is currently in evaluation stage, are no exception.NHS England has followed a fair, open, and transparent procurement process for both procurements. Both processes were open procedures that invited any suppliers to participate who could meet NHS England’s minimum criteria and deliver the requirements. Extensive pre-market engagement was undertaken, with all notices published on the Government’s Find A Tender and Contracts Finder sites. NHS England has been transparent with the process that has been followed, which is detailed in the tender documents published on NHS England’s e-tendering system, and has published all evaluation criteria, in accordance with PCR. Tenders have been independently evaluated by subject matter experts from across the National Health Service.

NHS: Staff

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many retired NHS staff returned to work in the NHS in each of the last five years.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS: Resignations

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS staff left the health service by job role in the last 12 months.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department of Health and Social Care: Offices

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the total cost was of refurbishments to his Department's offices at 39 Victoria Street in the last 12 months; and what the procurement references were for these refurbishments.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Care Homes: Buildings

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of residential care homes constructed with reinforced autoclave aerated concrete.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Diagnosis and Medical Treatments: Children

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that the concerns of parents and carers are (a) acknowledged and (b) addressed during their child's (i) diagnosis and (ii) treatment.

Maria Caulfield: The advice of the National Health Service is to discuss concerns with the provider of the service early on as they may be able to address the concern quickly. Parents and carers can also raise their concerns through the use of the NHS complaints system, under which the NHS organisation is legally required to acknowledge the complaint within three working days, and work to resolve the complaint in a speedy and efficient manner.

Healthwatch England: Finance

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will increase funding for Healthwatch England.

Maria Caulfield: Healthwatch England are one of many organisations that ensure the voices of service users are heard across England’s healthcare system. Funding for Healthwatch England has increased over the years, from £2.6 million in 2017/18 to £3.4 million in 2021/22. Moving forward, we will ensure that Healthwatch and similar organisations receive appropriate funding to discharge their functions effectively.

Dental Services: Cornwall

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer to Question 195463 on Dental Services: Cornwall, how much of the £4,562,496 recovered from dentists in Cornwall in 2021-22 is (a) available and (b) allocated for financial year 2023-24.

Neil O'Brien: Financial accounting rules do not allow for funding recovered from one financial year (in this case, 2021/22) to be spent in another financial year (in this case, 2023/24). Where a dental contract underperforms in any one year any financial recovery associated with the contractual performance should accrue to the year in which the underperformance takes place.

Dental Services: Cornwall

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of units of dental activity under NHS dental contracts were handed back to NHS England in Cornwall in financial year 2021-22.

Neil O'Brien: During 2021/22 there were two contract hand backs of 300 Units of Dental Activity (UDAs) and 800 UDAs. In 2021/22, 940,152 UDAs were commissioned, therefore 0.12% of contracted activity (1,100 UDAs) was handed back. During 2021/22 there was also a contract reduction of 11,000 UDAs. Taking all of these reductions into account, there was a recurrent reduction of 12,100 UDAs. This represents a reduction of 1.29% of total commissioned activity.

Hospitals and Schools: Asbestos

Matt Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, as part of the NHS Prevention Programme, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure the safe (a) management and (b) removal of asbestos from (i) schools and (ii) hospitals.

Matt Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding his Department has allocated to support the safe removal of asbestos from hospitals.

Will Quince: The Government provided £4.2 billion capital last financial year for the National Health Service to support local priorities, including to maintain and refurbish their premises, and a further £8.4 billion will be available over this financial year and next.NHS England continues to work with trusts to ensure their estates are a safe environment for patients and staff. Where asbestos may pose a safety risk, such as when disturbed during building works, experts are brought in to dispose of it safely.

Radiotherapy

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to create the nine statutory joint committees on radiotherapy; and what the process will be for creating those committees.

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department's timescales are for the creation of the nine statutory joint radiotherapy committees; what steps his Department is taking to create those committees; and if he will make a statement.

Will Quince: NHS England published a roadmap in May 2022 setting the direction of travel for greater integration of specialised services with integrated care board (ICB) commissioned services, in order to better join up patient pathways. A copy of the roadmap is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/PAR1440-specialised-commissioning-roadmap-addendum-may-2022.pdfAn analysis of the entire specialised services portfolio was undertaken to determine which services are both suitable and ready for greater ICB leadership. Following an assessment of ICB system readiness at the end of 2022, which was signed off by the NHS England Board in February 2023, nine statutory joint committees between NHS England and multi-ICB collaborations were established on 1 April 2023 taking on joint responsibility for commissioning decisions on 59 specialised services. A list of these services (which includes radiotherapy services) is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/board-2-feb-23-item-7-annex-a-final-spa-lists.pdfTo ensure appropriate oversight and assurance of specialised services under the nine statutory joint committees in 2023/24, NHS England produced guidance for its regional teams and integrated care boards which was released in February 2023. The guidance sets out four key areas that NHS England's regional specialised commissioning teams, working with and through the joint committees, should be regularly overseeing and monitoring in relation to their specialised provision (including providers of radiotherapy services). These four areas are: timeliness of provision; quality of provision; use of resources/value for money; and equity and health inequalities.

Maternity Services

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help improve the experience of birthing partners (a) during and (b) immediately after labour.

Maria Caulfield: NHS England’s Three-Year Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Services (published March 2023) sets out how NHS England will make maternity and neonatal care safer, more personalised, and more equitable for women, babies and families, including birthing partners.A commitment of this work is ensuring that women have a personalised care and support plan tailored to their individual needs and wishes. This can include their choice of partner or partners during labour and birth. NHS England have committed to producing standardised information for intrapartum interventions, mode of birth, induction of labour and pain relief. This will help women to make informed choices about their care and will also support the knowledge and understanding of birth partners.

Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme: Coronavirus

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many applications there have been to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme relating to covid-19 vaccinations; and how many claims have been (a) awarded, (b) rejected and (c) were unresolved for more than six months.

Maria Caulfield: As of 1 September 2023, the NHS Business Services Authority has received 7,160 claims to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) that relate to COVID-19.Following medical assessment, 142 (just under 2%) of these claims have been awarded and 3,030 (42.3%) of these claims have been rejected. A further 192 (2.7%) claims were found to be ‘invalid’ (for example, outside the scope of the VDPS, or a duplicate claim).There are 3,796 currently unresolved claims, 1,010 of which (14.1% of the total number of COVID-19 related claims) have been unresolved for more than six months.

Breast Cancer: Medical Treatments

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to make an assessment of the adequacy of (a) funding for and (b) research into breast cancer treatment.

Will Quince: The Department does not currently plan to make specific assessments as work is already underway. The Government is supporting the National Health Service with record funding, including investing an additional £3.3 billion in each of 2023/24 and 2024/25 to enable rapid action to improve emergency, elective and primary care performance towards pre-pandemic levels, bringing the NHS resource budget to £165.9 billion in 2024/25. Under the Targeted Investment Fund, NHS England is investing in over 870 schemes across more than 180 hospital trusts to increase capacity through expanding wards, installing modular operating theatres, upgrading outpatient spaces, expanding mobile diagnostics for cancer and upgrading MRI and screening technology Regarding research, the Department invests in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including research into breast cancer. NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was over £101 million for 2021/22. NIHR also supports research into breast cancer treatment via its infrastructure. This includes funding for the NIHR Biomedical Research Centres, NIHR Clinical Research Facilities, NIHR Clinical Research Network and Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres.

Brain Cancer: Research

Caroline Ansell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of his Department's processes for allocating funding to the highest quality clinical trials for brain tumour research; and if he will make a statement.

Will Quince: The Department invests in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR invests in research, clinical expertise, specialist facilities, workforce and support services across a range of clinical areas. NIHR expenditure on cancer research was £101.2 million in 2021/22.The Government is committed to funding high-quality brain cancer research. The May 2018 Government announcement of £40 million for brain tumour research as part of the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission remains available and if we can spend more on the best quality science we will do.We welcome more high-quality applications for brain tumour research funding. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition. The NIHR continues to follow its normal high-quality processes in making funding recommendations to the Department. It is worth noting that all applications that were fundable in open competition have been funded.

NHS: Staff

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the impact of staffing levels in the NHS on the levels of supervision provided to clinicians.

Will Quince: No assessment has been made. Individual employers are responsible for ensuring their staff are trained and competent to deliver safe and effective patient care.

Brain Cancer: Research

Caroline Ansell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support researchers to access Government funding for brain tumour research; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Ansell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to encourage clinical researchers to specialise in brain tumour research; and if he will make a statement.

Will Quince: Brain tumour research remains a challenging scientific area, with a relatively small research community. We are working closely with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission (TJBCM) in hosting customised workshops for researchers, and training for clinicians. These actions will grow capacity for brain cancer research, attracting new researchers, developing the community, and supporting researchers to submit high quality research funding proposals.The TJBCM recently announced two appointments to the inaugural Tessa Jowell Fellowship programme. These 12-month fellowships will support high quality training in neuro-oncology clinical practice and research, to ensure clinicians are equipped with the relevant research skills needed to lead neuro-oncology trials that change practice.Additionally, the TJBCM have designated 28 adult Tessa Jowell Centres of Excellence within the National Health Service, which has created a world-class network of brain tumour treatment and research centres to provide the best care and share best practice.The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including research into brain tumours. As with other Government funders of health research, the NIHR does not allocate funding for specific disease areas. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.

Department of Health and Social Care: Freedom of Information

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the average time taken by his Department to respond to freedom of information requests in the 2022-23 financial year.

Will Quince: Freedom of Information (FOI) performance for all central government departments and other monitored bodies can be found on gov.uk at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics.A performance recovery plan was implemented during 2022. Subsequently, we have exceeded the 90 percent expectation of responding to FOI requests within 20 working days in each month during 2023.

Department of Health and Social Care: Correspondence

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps they are taking to reduce backlogs of Member correspondence in their office.

Will Quince: The Department continues to treat correspondence from parliamentarians as a priority and adhere to the Cabinet Office standard for responses in 20 working days. Volumes continue to be higher than they were pre-pandemic, and we are working though detailed recovery plans to improve our response rates.With regards to timeliness of responses to enquiries received by members, the Cabinet Office published data on this for 2022 for all government departments on GOV.UK in March 2023 and will be publishing data for Q1 and Q2 2023 shortly. The 2022 data is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/data-on-responses-to-correspondence-from-mps-and-peers-2022

Dementia: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support the (a) continuous training and (b) upskilling of healthcare professionals dealing with dementia in Solihull constituency.

Will Quince: Individual employers are responsible for ensuring their staff are trained and competent to carry out their role, and for investing in the future of their staff through providing continuing professional development (CPD) funding.To supplement local employer investment for CPD, the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, published on 30 June 2023, sets out NHS England’s commitment to continue national CPD funding for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals. The operation of this scheme will be kept under review, to ensure subsequent funding is in line with workforce growth and inflation, well targeted and achieving the desired outcomes.There are a variety of resources available on the NHS England E-learning for Health platform, including a programme on dementia care designed to enhance the training and education of the health and social care workforce.

NHS: Buildings

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department spent on NHS building works in each financial year since 2009-10.

Will Quince: There are two types of capital funding provided to National Health Service providers. The first is the capital allocation provided to NHS providers, and now to integrated care boards to undertake priority work. The second is capital allocations directly from the Department to NHS providers for capital schemes within national programmes. Additionally, capital is provided to NHS England for their central programmes and primary care.The total capital spend by the NHS, combining these two sources, from 2009/10 to 2021/22 is shown in the table below. This covers a broad category of work including some technology programmes but majority will have been spent on NHS building work in the form of maintenance, refurbishment, safety works and new build:Financial YearTotal Capital Spend (£)2009/105,2402010/113,4602011/122,8642012/133,1642013/143,4112014/153,4962015/163,1242016/173,1272017/183,2912018/194,1532019/204,7692020/217,4622021/227,126 The NHS Provider capital spend on new buildings fixed assets, as well as assets under construction, is available in their consolidated annual accounts in the Property, Plant and Equipment note, published by NHS England from 2017/18. NHS England’s spend on new buildings will similarly be shown in their published annual accounts.The revenue spend on maintenance is shown in the accounts in the operating expenditure note under Premise.

Department of Health and Social Care: Policy

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps they are taking to help ensure that their Department (a) gives sufficient attention to long term strategic challenges, (b) does not allow current events to slow down work on long term strategic issues and (c) consistently undertakes horizon scanning.

Will Quince: The Department prioritises responding to the long-term strategic challenges facing health and social care, alongside responding to current events. For example, the recently published NHS England Long Term Workforce Plan sets out how we will deliver a National Health Service workforce that meets the needs of the population over the next 15 years. The Department is also producing a Major Conditions Strategy, for which the Department published an initial report in August.

Processed Food: Consumption

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to help reduce consumption of ultra-processed foods.

Neil O'Brien: Diets high in calories and saturated fat, salt, and sugar are associated with an increased risk of obesity and chronic diseases. Based on their nutritional content, most people are likely to benefit from reducing their consumption of many foods classified as ultra-processed foods (UPF). The UK Eatwell Guide shows that many foods classified as UPF are not part of a healthy, balanced diet. The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition has concluded that observed associations between UPF and health are concerning, but it is unclear whether these foods are inherently unhealthy due to processing or due to their nutritional content. Many UPF are also likely to be the focus of: regulations which restrict the placement of high fat, salt or sugar products in store and online; reformulation of products high in calories, sugar and salt; the Soft Drinks Industry Levy; and calorie labelling regulations for food sold in large out-of-home businesses.

Obesity: Men

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the levels of (a) overweight and (b) obesity among men.

Neil O'Brien: We have introduced regulations on out-of-home calorie labelling for food sold in large businesses, including restaurants, cafes and takeaways, and regulations restricting the placement of less healthy products in key selling locations in store and online. We are also working with industry to make further progress on reformulation and to ensure it is easier for people to make healthier choices. The weight loss drug Semaglutide (Wegovy) was launched in the United Kingdom on 4 September and will be made available on the National Health Service in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommendations to ensure cost effective use. A two-year pilot backed by up to £40 million is being developed to explore ways to make these drugs accessible to patients living with obesity outside of hospital settings.

Alcoholic Drinks: Labelling

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps to ensure that the labelling of alcohol products includes calorie information.

Neil O'Brien: In ‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’, published in 2020, we committed to consult on whether to introduce calorie labelling on prepacked alcohol and alcohol sold in on-trade businesses such as pubs and restaurants.

Health Professions: English Language

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 17 July 2023 to Question 193665 on Health Professions: English Language, what the (a) pass and (b) fail rate was for the Occupational English Test in the latest period for which data is available.

Will Quince: The Department does not hold data on the pass and fail rate for the Occupational English Test (OET).The OET is an international English language test that assesses the language communication skills of healthcare professionals who seek to register and practise in an English-speaking environment. The OET publishes test statistics on its website, which are available at the following link:https://oet.com/discover/about-oet/test-statisticsDemographic data from 2021 shows the distribution of grades per sub-test for the 12 OET healthcare professions.

Huntington’s Disease: Medical Treatments

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Departments has to produce guidelines on the treatment of Huntingdon’s disease.

Will Quince: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent, expert body responsible for translating evidence into authoritative guidance on best practice for the health and care system in England.NICE has published a number of guidelines relevant to the management of patients with Huntington’s disease, including on the recognition and referral of neurological conditions and depression in adults with a chronic physical health problem. A NICE guideline on rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders, including acquired brain injury, is expected to be published in January 2025, and will include a specific category on progressive neurological diseases such as Huntington’s disease.

Bowel Cancer: Screening

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of reducing the minimum age for bowel cancer screening.

Will Quince: A recent assessment of reducing the minimum age for bowel cancer screening has been made, and since April 2021 NHS England have gradually reduced the age for screening towards 50 as recommended by the UK National Screening Committee. Inclusion of people aged from 50 to 59 is being phased in over four years. 2024/25 should see the age extension reach 50-year-olds.

Ministry of Justice

Courts: Buildings

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what precautionary measures are being taken in courts where Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) has been discovered.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of court buildings surveyed have been found to contain Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) as of 5 September 2023.

Mike Freer: Departments have been asked to report on the current picture of suspected and confirmed reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in their estates as soon as possible. This will be updated on a regular basis as new buildings are identified and surveying and remediation are carried out.The Government published lists of education settings confirmed as having RAAC on Wednesday 6 September and committed to providing further updates.

Crime: Staffordshire

Jonathan Gullis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking through the criminal justice system to tackle alcohol and drug-related crime in (a) Stoke-on-Trent and (b) Staffordshire.

Damian Hinds: We know that drug and alcohol related crime blights communities and drives reoffending, so it is essential the Criminal Justice System tackles substance misuse and supports offenders into treatment.This is why MoJ have introduced the Alcohol Abstinence and Monitoring Requirement (AAMR) to tackle alcohol related offending. The AAMR imposes an alcohol ban for up to 120 days, with compliance electronically monitored using an alcohol tag. Published statistics show a compliance rate with the ban of 97.2% for days monitored, since introduction, Electronic Monitoring Statistics Published June 2023 - Gov.uk. We have also introduced alcohol monitoring for offenders leaving custody and during the license period where alcohol misuse is a factor for reoffending; license conditions may be imposed which ban or limit alcohol consumption.Drug Treatment Requirements can also be imposed as part of a community sentence, which aims to address the underlying causes of drug-driven offending behaviours and improve health outcomes.All prisoners will also have access to high-quality treatment so they can turn their back on addiction. We are increasing the number of Incentivised Substance Free Living units to up to 100 by March 2025, where prisoners commit to remaining free of illicit drugs with regular drug testing and incentives - there are currently 60 open across the estate, including several in the West Midlands region.The ongoing recruitment of Drug Strategy Leads based in category C and women's prisons, also allows for the coordination of the strategy’s whole system approach to tackling drugs.We are recruiting Health and Justice Partnership Coordinators across England and Wales, to improve offender access to substance misuse and health services. These roles work regionally across the West Midlands, covering both Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire.We know that for prison leavers, continuity of care after release is important. We are rolling out a project that will make probation aware of all person leavers who were in treatment in prison and have been referred to community treatment- enabling them to support appointment attendance. Mobilisation in Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire is underway and due to complete by March 2024.

Prisoners on Remand: Terrorism

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many individuals on remand for terror-related charges are held in Category B prisons as of 8 September 2023.

Damian Hinds: Information on the number of persons in custody for terrorism-connected offences are routinely published on gov.uk and include a total figure for those who have been convicted and those being held on remand. The latest figures show that as at 31 March 2023, there were 232 persons in custody for terrorism-connected offences in Great Britain. This and future bulletins can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/operation-of-police-powers-under-the-terrorism-act-2000-quarterly-update-to-march-2023. Given the sensitive nature of the information, we do not publish any further breakdowns, or disclose operational detail (e.g., the categorisation and location of terrorist offenders) which may lead to the identification of individuals or undermine our national security efforts. All prisoners are categorised under the Security Categorisation Policy Framework. Those whose offences meet the threshold for consideration for Category A are then referred to the national Category A team in HMPPS and assessed against that policy. Generally, remand prisoners are held in Category B reception prisons which are designed to serve their local courts. In each case, risk assessments are carried out to determine the appropriateness of the specific placement of each prisoner. The risk assessment looks at a range of factors, not just what offence on which someone has been charged.

Prisoners' Release

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions prisoners who were granted temporary release on compassionate grounds failed to return to prison on the date they were required to do so in each of the last five years.

Damian Hinds: The table below shows the number of prisoners that failed to return to English and Welsh prisons from temporary release on compassionate grounds in each of the last five years. Number of prisoners that failed to return from temporary release1,2,3 on compassionate release4 in England and Wales, 2018-19 to 2022-23YearNumber of failures to return52018-1922019-2052020-2142021-2242022-233(1) Figures can include incidents within the youth estate, but exclude incidents at Medway STC(2) A temporary release failure after a release on temporary licence (ROTL) occurs when a prisoner fails to adhere to any condition written into the licence that permits their temporary release. Such conditions include the date and time by which the prisoner is required to return to the prison and may also place restrictions on where the prisoner may go and whom they may visit during the period of release, etc.(3) Failure to return after release on temporary licence is the subset of the above where an offender has not returned to the establishment by midnight on the date of return given in the licence.(4) Figures for compassionate release include where the type of temporary release was either 'funeral/visiting dying relative', 'medical treatment' (special purpose medical only) or 'other compassionate release'(5) The figures include all failures to return, not only those where failure to return is the most serious type of failure  Data Sources and QualityThese figures have been drawn from the HMPPS Incident Reporting System. Care is taken when processing and analysing returns but the detail is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. Although shown to the last case, the figures may not be accurate to that level.The Prison Rules in England and Wales provide that a prisoner may be allowed to leave prison for short periods on temporary licence (ROTL). ROTL under special purpose licence (SPL) is permitted for compelling compassionate reasons not directly linked to resettlement; for example, to allow the prisoner to attend medical appointments. Public protection is our priority. All offenders must meet strict criteria and pass a full risk assessment, involving all relevant agencies, before being considered for release on temporary licence (ROTL). By providing opportunities to work, learn and build family ties, temporary release from prison helps ensure offenders don't return to crime when they leave prison. Evidence shows the vast majority abide by their temporary release conditions, with the compliance rate standing at well over 99%. In 2022-23, for example, there were 7,165 temporary releases for compassionate reasons and only 3 failures to return. Non-compliance is, and will continue to be, dealt with robustly. Justice matters in Northern Ireland are devolved.

Prison Officers: Pensions

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of reducing the pension age of prison officers to 60.

Damian Hinds: The pension age in all public sector pension schemes is set under legislation by HM Treasury and the merits of any review in aspects of the pension scheme, including pension age, would be for them to consider. I am committed to listening to and working with officers, staff and trade unions and I continue to meet with the Prison Officer’s Association and other unions to discuss a range of issues, including pensions. We highly value our hardworking prison officers and take very seriously the safety of all staff working within prisons, whatever their age. The Ministry of Justice continues to review and roll out new safety equipment and provide new skills to prison officers to deal with challenging situations and reduce the risk of assault.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Saudi Arabia: Migrants

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the report entitled, "They Fired on Us Like Rain": Saudi Arabian Mass Killings of Ethiopian Migrants at the Yemen-Saudi Border, published by Human Rights Watch on 21 August 2023, whether he has made representations to authorities in Saudi Arabia on the alleged killing of hundreds of Ethiopian migrants by Saudi border guards between March 2022 and June 2023.

David Rutley: We are aware of NGO and media reports about the deaths of migrants at the Saudi-Yemen border. The UK Government has raised the matter with the Saudi authorities, including at Ministerial level. The Minister for the Middle East and Human Rights, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, raised the issue with the Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in August, and most recently with the President of the Saudi Human Rights Commission. The UK's relationship with Saudi Arabia covers a broad range of interests, however no aspect of our relationship prevents us from speaking frankly about human rights. We regularly discuss human rights with the Saudi authorities through a range of diplomatic channels including Ministers, our Ambassador, and the British Embassy in Riyadh.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Staff

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many full-time equivalent staff employed at what grades have been appointed to his Department’s Major Events Unit; and what total budget has been allocated to the work of that unit for (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25.

David Rutley: The HMG Major Events Unit has 3x full-time staff employed by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office at the following grades; 1x Deputy Director, 1x Grade 7 & 1x HEO. The Unit does not hold budgetary responsibility for its work conducted on HMG events. All expenses incurred by the Unit when working on events are charged directly to that event's budget.

Nagorno Karabakh: Development Aid

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking further steps to support people living in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Leo Docherty: The UK Government has publicly highlighted the importance of re-opening the Lachin Corridor into Nagorno-Karabakh and addressing the humanitarian needs of the local population, including at the United Nations Security Council on 16 August 2023. The UK has a strong record of supporting humanitarian responses in this region and FCDO officials are in close contact with humanitarian agencies. The START FUND, a humanitarian response fund to which the UK is a significant donor, has allocated £350,000 to the region. The UK continues to encourage both Armenia and Azerbaijan to make further progress in negotiations to secure an historic peace agreement.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he is taking steps with his international counterparts to include older people from developing countries in consultations on the development of Universal Health Coverage in low and middle-income countries.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is committed to championing universal health coverage (UHC). In the 2019 Political Declaration on UHC, United Nations Member States committed to promote healthy and active ageing and to respond to the needs of ageing populations. We are working with other Member States to retain and build on that commitment at the 2023 UN High-Level Meeting. We continue to work with country partners and global organisations such as the World Health Organization on integrated and equitable approaches to strengthening health systems and achieving UHC that meets the needs of people of all ages and promotes their participation and inclusion.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the recommendations in the Age International report entitled Universal Health Coverage For All Ages, on the United Nations high-level meeting on universal health coverage in September 2023.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We fully support the three areas set out in the Age International Report. Health systems that deliver the full spectrum of health services from health promotion to palliative care, are responsive to the needs of all citizens, particularly through quality primary health care, and are grounded in a rights-based approach that promote participation and accountability, are essential for global progress on universal health coverage (UHC). These align with the action that the UK will advocate for at the 2030 High-Level Meeting. We appreciate the report's thoughtful and evidence-based highlighting of specific barriers faced by older people and we are working other Member States to ensure that the needs and rights of older people are clearly reflected in the 2023 High-Level Meeting's political declaration.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the United Nations publication entitled World Population Ageing, published 2017, if he will raise the topic of healthcare planning for an aging population at the United Nations high-level meeting on universal health coverage.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: As set out in FCDO's Health Systems Strengthening Position Paper, health systems will need to continuously adapt, including for demographic changes such as ageing populations and growing youth generations. The UK will be advocating for renewed commitment to universal health coverage at the High-Level Meeting, including through scaling up investment of primary health care, stepping up efforts to address financial hardship from accessing healthcare, and addressing the global shortage of health workers, all of which will help to meet the needs of ageing populations.

Gabon and Niger: Military Coups

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the security implications for the UK of coups in (a) Gabon and (b) Niger.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK condemns the unconstitutional military takeovers of power in Gabon and Niger. We stand behind the efforts of regional actors to restore constitutional government in both countries. There is currently no increased threat to UK security, however HMG assess that terrorist violence in Niger is highly likely to increase in the next 24 months as a result of the coup. This may have knock-on impacts for regional security in Africa. In Gabon, the situation has remained stable, and the transitional government has committed itself to free and fair elections. We continue to monitor the situation in both countries closely for further developments.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Policy

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps they are taking to help ensure that their Department (a) gives sufficient attention to long term strategic challenges, (b) does not allow current events to slow down work on long term strategic issues and (c) consistently undertakes horizon scanning.

David Rutley: The FCDO's planning framework brings together the Integrated Review Refresh, our Outcome Delivery Plan and the Foreign Secretary's priorities to drive long-term impact. The FCDO's analytical teams, with partners across government, conducts regular, cross-cutting, inter-disciplinary analyses and horizon scanning of trends and disruptions over the short, medium and long term to inform strategic decision making. These assessments are used in planning and resource decisions to ensure the department can maintain focus on long-term objectives. The FCDO has also developed a range of capability development and learning initiatives to equip staff to understand and address long-term strategic challenges.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Buildings

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) has been found within their Department's estate.

David Rutley: For now, the focus is on bringing together the information we hold about the Government estate into one place. This work is being coordinated by the Office for Government Property. Survey work is underway.

British Overseas Territories: Economic Crime

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to increase cooperation with British Overseas Territories to help tackle financial crime.

David Rutley: British Overseas Territories (OTs) cooperate with the UK on fighting financial crime and are committed to meeting international standards; including those set by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Financial Action Task Force. The FCDO has provided extensive support including funding and direct technical assistance to build local capacity and support the development of essential legislation. The FCDO, alongside HMT and the Home Office, co-hosts regular UK-OT fora on Economic Sanctions, Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism. A UK-OT ministerial illicit finance dialogue was launched at the Joint Ministerial Council in May 2023. A preparatory senior officials dialogue will take place in the British Virgin Islands between 12 to 14 September.

Kenya: Royal Visits

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when the King will next undertake a state visit to Kenya.

David Rutley: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does not discuss or disclose the details of possible visits by His Majesty The King until an announcement is made by Buckingham Palace and it is in the public domain.

Armenia: Azerbaijan

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the recent attacks on the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Leo Docherty: The UK Government is clear that there is no military solution to the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. We continue to raise the urgent need to resolve the conflict through negotiations in direct talks with the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides, as well as through the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the United Nations Security Council. The UK Government, including Ministers and our Ambassadors in Baku and Yerevan, continue to engage with both parties to the conflict to encourage a sustainable, peaceful settlement that will underpin stability and security in the region.

South China Sea

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his visit to China in August 2023, whether he discussed freedom of navigation in the South China Sea with Chinese officials.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: In the South China Sea, we are committed to international law, the primacy of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and to freedom of navigation and overflight. We oppose any action that raises tensions or the risk of miscalculation. We take no sides in the sovereignty disputes. We encourage all parties to settle their disputes peacefully through the existing legal mechanisms, in particular the UNCLOS. In his recent visit to Beijing, the Foreign Secretary underlined to China that its global significance comes with a responsibility on international security. That includes diffusing tensions in the South China Sea.

Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to increase the share of funding allocated to the Global Fund to treat tuberculosis.

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his G7 counterparts on the content of the political declaration for the UN High-level Meeting on the fight against tuberculosis on 22 September 2023.

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to to support the (a) engagement and (b) attendance of civil society groups at the UN High-level Meeting on the fight against tuberculosis on 22 September 2023.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK's £1 billion pledge to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria's seventh replenishment will help the Global Fund and its partners provide TB treatment and care for 1.1 million people. The Global Fund allocates funding to countries according to need. The decision on how much of that funding each country allocates to TB rests with the countries themselves.The UK is working closely with others, including G7 partners, to ensure that the political declaration for the UN High Level Meeting on the fight against tuberculosis includes tangible and ambitious commitments, with quantitative targets and mechanisms for accountability.We strongly support meaningful civil society participation at the UN General Assembly High Level Week. In preparation for the UN High-level meetings, I attended a roundtable with All Party Parliamentary Groups and civil society to share perspectives and inform the UK's position in the negotiations on the political declarations. The UN has official avenues for civil society participation in the High-level meetings.

Mohammed bin Salman

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent estimate he has made of when Mohammed Bin Salman will next visit the UK.

David Rutley: Saudi Arabia is a vital economic and defence partner, investing billions in the UK and helping to ensure the security of the British public. The Prime Minister and His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia had a call on 17 August and agreed to meet in person at the earliest opportunity. We will confirm any Prime Minister international engagement in the usual way.

Home Office

Home Office: Disclosure of Information

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average response time to subject access requests was by their Department in the latest period for which data is available; and if they will make an assessment of the adequacy of that response time.

Chris Philp: We endeavour to respond to all Subject Access Requests (SAR) received within the Statutory timescales listed within the DPA2018 and UK GDPR.In the latest period in which data is available 01/08/2023 – 30/08/2023, the Subject Access Request Unit had 2,836 cases due, of which 2,630 (92.7%) were completed within the statutory deadline. The average response time for that period was 26.14 days.

Home Office: Written Questions

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to answer Question 195199 tabled on 19 July 2023.

Robert Jenrick: We will provide a response in due course.

Home Office: Written Questions

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to answer Question 195196, tabled on 19 July 2023.

Robert Jenrick: We will provide a response in due course.

Home Office: Written Questions

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to answer Question 195195 tabled on 19 July 2023.

Robert Jenrick: We will provide a response in due course.

Undocumented Migrants: Turkey

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the press release, UK and Türkiye strengthen partnership to help tackle illegal migration, published on 9 August 2023, what the total amount of financial support is which the Government plans to provide to Turkiye for the purposes of implementing any plans set out in an agreement between the UK and Turkiye.

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's press release entitled UK and Türkiye strengthen partnership to help tackle illegal migration, published 9 August 2023, whether her Department has reached an agreement on a framework for the return of failed asylum seekers of (a) Turkish or (b) any other nationality from the UK to Turkiye.

Robert Jenrick: The UK and Türkiye are close strategic partners and have agreed to enhance cooperation on tackling the illegal movement of migrants. This covers close engagement and support in numerous areas, and we are bolstering our resources, for example to enable collaboration on joint law enforcement operations to disrupt the criminal gangs who are facilitating and profiting from illegal journeys. As a cooperative initiative in development it is not possible to set out the parameters or extent of UK funding, but any financial support offered will be agreed with our partners, and focused in areas that will bolster our effectiveness in tackling this shared challenge. Anyone with no right to be in the UK and whose appeal rights are exhausted is expected to leave the UK. Those who can return home but refuse to do so will face enforced removal, including Turkish nationals.

Immigration: Afghanistan

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have travelled to the UK from Afghanistan every month not through official schemes since the (a) Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy and (b) Afghan citizens resettlement schemes opened.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office publishes statistics on detected irregular arrivals to the UK in the ‘Irregular Migration to the UK statistics’ release. Data on detected irregular arrivals, by method of entry and nationality, is published in table Irr_D01 of the ‘Irregular migration to the UK detailed dataset’ with the latest data up to the end of June 2023.These figures included detected irregular arrivals only, not those arriving on any regular routes. These statistics also should not be used to infer the size of the irregular population in the UK, nor the total number of people entering the UK irregularly. For a number of reasons, it is not possible to know the exact size of the irregular population, or the number entering irregularly, and so we have not produced any official estimates for this number.The Home Office also publishes provisional data on small boat arrivals in the ‘Statistics relating to the Illegal Migration Act’ release. Data on migrants detected crossing the English Channel in small boats, by nationality, can be found in table IMB_01b of the ‘Statistics relating to the Illegal Migration Act: data tables to August 2023’. The latest data relate to 31 July 2023.

Holiday Accommodation: Exploitation

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the prevalence of exploitation of workers in the short-term holiday and short-term stays sector.

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help prevent and protect against human trafficking and exploitation of vulnerable people in the short-term lettings and stays sector.

Miss Sarah Dines: The Government is committed to tackling the heinous crime of modern slavery. We are identifying more victims of modern slavery and doing more to bring perpetrators to justice than ever before.We have also introduced several initiatives aimed at preventing human trafficking and exploitation, these include:Supporting the police to tackle modern slavery, including dedicated funding totalling £17.8 million since 2016. This funding has supported the Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Unit, run by Devon and Cornwall Police, to increase police awareness and ability to tackle modern slavery across England and Wales.Introducing training interventions for frontline services that might encounter victims of modern slavery, making sure operational colleagues such as Border Force can recognise the signs of modern slavery and are equipped to step in.Between 2016 and March 2023, the Home Office spent over £37m through the Modern Slavery Fund, which has a strong focus on upstream prevention.The government has not assessed the prevalence of exploitation of workers in the short-term holiday and short-term stays sector.

Home Office: Buildings

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) has been found within their Department's estate.

Chris Philp: For now, the focus is on bringing together the information we hold about the Government estate into one place.This work is being coordinated by the Office for Government Property. Survey work is underway.

Human Trafficking: Children

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to tackle child trafficking.

Miss Sarah Dines: This Government is clear that targeting, grooming and the exploitation of children who are often the most vulnerable in our society is deplorable and is committed to tackling it. The Modern Slavery Act 2015 gives law enforcement agencies the tools to tackle modern slavery, including potential maximum sentences of life imprisonment for perpetrators and specific support and protection for victims, including children. £17.8 million of dedicated funding has been provided to the police since 2016, helping to improve the police’s ability to identify victims and to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators and we are investing up to £145 million over three years to tackle drugs supply and county lines activity. The Prevention Programme in England and Wales also delivers tailored interventions, based on police intelligence, to improve multi-agency collaboration in prevention of all exploitation types and help identify hot spot locations, priority areas and specific threats in each region. The identification of a child who is a potential victim of modern slavery, or is at risk of being a victim, should always trigger the agreed local child protection procedures to ensure the child’s safety and welfare, and to enable the police to gather evidence about abusers and coercers. In addition to this statutory support, the Government has rolled out Independent Child Trafficking Guardians (ICTGs) who provide an additional source of advice and support for potentially trafficked children, irrespective of nationality, and is piloting their impact with sites covering two thirds of all local authorities across England and nationally in Wales.

Internet: Offences against Children

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department are taking to tackle Artificial Intelligence generating child sexual abuse material online.

Miss Sarah Dines: The Government remains firmly committed to tackling all forms of child sexual abuse online and in our communities across the UK and internationally. Our approach is underpinned by the Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Strategy which sets out firm commitments to drive action across the whole system.The law in the UK is very clear with regards to production of child sexual abuse material. It is an offence to produce, store, share or search for any material that contains or depicts child sexual abuse, regardless of whether the material depicts a ‘real’ child or not. This prohibition also includes pseudo-imagery that may have been computer-generated.Home Office investment supports the National Crime Agency to use its unique capabilities to disrupt the highest harm offenders, safeguard children and remove the most horrific child sexual abuse material from the internet, including on the dark web.The Government not only works closely with law enforcement but also child protection agencies to develop a robust assessment of the threat posed by child sexual offenders and therefore create technological and legislative solutions to target offenders and safeguard children.It is not only the duty of the government to take this threat seriously, but also that of the technology companies that utilise Artificial Intelligence. They must incorporate safety measures to ensure their technology cannot be exploited by child sexual offenders.That is why this Government is currently driving forward the Online Safety Bill which seeks to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online. The Online Safety Bill will, for the first time, place clear legal duties on technology companies to take proactive steps to identify, remove and prevent users encountering illegal content, including child sexual abuse content from platforms/services. This includes AI-generated child sexual abuse content. Companies who fail to fulfil their legal duties will be held to account by an independent regulator, Ofcom, who will have strong enforcement powers.

Asylum: Greater London

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were awaiting the outcome of their asylum application in (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) the London Borough of Enfield and (c) London on 1 September 2023.

Robert Jenrick: Whilst we hold information regarding the number of people awaiting the outcome of their asylum claim in each parliamentary constituency, this information is not held in a reportable format.

Asylum: Bournemouth

Sir Conor Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people awaiting asylum determination are housed in postcodes: (a) BH3 7, (b) BH12 5, (c) BH12 1, (d) BH10 6, (e) BH10 5, (f) BH9 2, (g) BH4 9, (h) BH9 1, (i) BH4 8, (j) BH2 6, (k) BH11 9, (l) BH10 4, (m) BH12 4, (n) BH10 7, (o) BH1 1, (p) BH2 5, (q) BH11 8 and (r) BH1 2?.

Robert Jenrick: Whilst we hold information regarding the number of people awaiting the outcome of their asylum claim in each postcode, this information is not held in a reportable format.

Members: Correspondence

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to correspondence of 11 August 2023 from the Rt Hon. Member for North Durham, case reference KJ30777.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office replied to your office on 11 September 2023.

Police: Stun Guns

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of designating tasers as mandatory personal safety equipment for police officers.

Chris Philp: The government is committed to giving the police the necessary tools to do their job. TASER® provides officers with an important tactical option when facing potentially violent situations.There are no plans to give all police officers access to Tasers. Only specially trained officers may carry a TASER®.The number of TASER® trained officers within a force is an operational matter and is determined by chief officers in line with their respective force’s Strategic Threat and Risk Assessments.

Antisocial Behaviour: Young People

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the use of ultrasonic anti-social behaviour devices on the health and wellbeing of young people who are not engaging in anti-social behaviour.

Chris Philp: The Government is committed to ensuring that all products placed on the market in the UK are safe and a comprehensive regulatory framework exists to ensure this is the case. Products such as ultrasonic devices, including those used to deter anti-social behaviour are regulated by the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (GPSR), and may be covered by other product specific laws, such as the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016. GPSR require that only safe products, in their normal or reasonably foreseeable use, can be placed on the market. The laws place obligations on producers, manufacturers, importers, and distributors to ensure consumers are provided with safety information including instructions for assembly, installation, and maintenance.Concerns and questions about the safety of any product should be directed to the manufacturer in the first instance. The manufacturer should be able to provide some reassurance or take action to address these. Consumers and members of the public may also liaise directly with the Citizens Advice consumer helpline (https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/get-more-help/if-you-need-more-help-about-a-consumer-issue/). Citizens Advice may, if appropriate, send a copy of the information to the local trading standards service on their behalf. It is the responsibility of the trading standards service which receives the details from Citizens Advice to determine whether there is evidence of an offence, and to decide what further action to take. Alternatively, Citizens Advice themselves may be able to provide advice on consumer rights.The Department of Business and Trade can confirm that there have been no reports relating to these products on the UK product safety database, which is a system used by regulators to notify information about safety risks and actions taken.

Police Stations: Facilities

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has plans to improve recreational and fitness facilities within UK police stations for serving officers and police staff.

Chris Philp: The provision of recreational and fitness facilities in each force is a matter for the Chief Constable and Police and Crime Commissioner in England and Wales.While the health, safety and wellbeing of the police workforce is primarily the responsibility for the leaders in each force, this government is determined that no member of the police workforce should suffer detriment as a result of their job. That is why we have introduced the Police Covenant and continue to work with policing partners to ensure the workforce gets the right support and protection.

Fire and Rescue Services: Equality

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to promote diversity in the fire service in England.

Chris Philp: Action to promote diversity is being taken through funding the National Fire Chiefs Council’s People Programme. The Programme provides national good practice guidance and tools to support improvements in local services.Proposals for further work in this area are outlined within the Government’s Fire Reform White Paper and our response will be published in due course.

Firearms: Licensing

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to launch her Department's consultation on full cost recovery for firearms licencing.

Chris Philp: The Home Office is currently reviewing firearms licensing fees, which were last increased in 2015 and are now considerably below the cost of the service provided.The key aim of the review is to achieve full cost recovery for the police so that they receive the funding and resources they need to provide a more effective service that supports public safety.The review is being informed by a Firearms Fees Working Group, chaired by the Home Office and including representation from the police, shooting representative bodies and other Government departments. I expect to consult publicly on proposed new fees during the Autumn and to put the new fees before Parliament shortly thereafter.

Fraud: Information Sharing

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to enable information sharing between (a) banks, (b) technology firms and (c) telecommunications companies for the purposes of (i) investigating, (ii) detecting and (iii) preventing fraud.

Tom Tugendhat: As outlined in the Economic Crime Plan 2 (ECP2) and Fraud Strategy, both published earlier this year, sharing information and data is a key means for the public and private sectors to identify and block frauds and economic crime.The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill and reforms to the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will remove the legislative barriers to economic crime data sharing.As set out in ECP2, HMG will work with industry to implement a public-private economic crime data strategy that enhances the exploitation of available data across the ecosystem to better prevent, detect, and pursue economic crime.HMG has also worked directly with key sectors to improve data and information sharing. This has included engaging with the Payment Systems Regulator and signing specific charters.

Forensic Science

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the transforming forensics programme in strengthening forensic services.

Chris Philp: The Home Office has funded multiple programmes to strengthen forensic services. The programmes all undergo monthly assurance. The Transforming Forensics Programme, which concluded in March this year, has:Developed an end-to-end solution for the digitisation of fingerprinting, which will help forces to identify criminals more quicklySupported the rollout of a suite of technological solutions helping forces to support victims of rape more effectivelySet up the Forensic Capability Network which provides ongoing support to over 4,000 forensics professionals by coordinating a wide range of national activities

Antisocial Behaviour: Selby and Ainsty

Keir Mather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle anti-social behaviour in Selby and Ainsty constituency.

Keir Mather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle street crime against women and girls in Selby and Ainsty constituency.

Chris Philp: On 27 March, the Government launched the Anti-social Behaviour Action Plan (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/anti-social-behaviour-action-plan) ensuring the police, local authorities and other relevant agencies have the powers and tools they need to tackle the blight of anti-social behaviour facing communities across England and Wales.The plan is backed by £160m of funding. This includes up to £60m to fund an increased police and other uniformed presence to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, targeting hotspots. Initially we are working with 10 police force areas, but from 2024 we will support a hotspot approach across every police force area in England and Wales. We are also providing up to £50m to support the provision of Immediate Justice, by issuing out of court disposals with conditions to swiftly repair any damage – the aim being for them to start within 48 hours of referral. This will start in 10 initial trailblazer police force areas and be rolled out across England and Wales from 2024.The Government is committed to ensuring that women and girls both are and feel safe on our streets. We have supported Rt Hon. Greg Clark MP’s Protection from Sex-Based Harassment in Public Bill, which is currently passing through the House of Lords. This provides that if someone commits an offence under section 4A of the Public Order Act 1986 (intentional harassment, alarm or distress) and does so because of the victim’s sex, they can receive a longer sentence.Through Round 4 of the Safer Streets Fund, North Yorkshire PCC has been awarded approximately £809,000. The funding has been invested in a number of interventions aimed at tackling street harassment and stalking.

Department for Work and Pensions

Sickness Benefits: Greater London

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people were on long-term sickness benefits in (a) Enfield North Constituency, (b) the London Borough of Enfield and (c) London in each of the last five years.

Tom Pursglove: The requested information is contained in the attached spreadsheet.Attachment (xlsx, 20.3KB)

Universal Credit: North East

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to prevent (a) payment delays and (b) incorrect fluctuations in monthly payments for Universal Credit claimants in the North East.

Guy Opperman: The Department has a dedicated performance team in Universal Credit working with our teams nationally to continually level up caseloads/workloads to ensure timely and accurate payments to customers. Our current payment performance shows we paid 92.1% of all new claimants to Universal Credit accurately and on time. In addition, we paid 97.1% of all other customers their Universal Credit entitlement accurately and on time. Universal Credit payment timeliness statistics for new claims are published in Table 6 in the Households on Universal Credit section on Stat-Xplore. These figures can be filtered by different geographies and can be found at: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/ Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

Employment: Stress

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help ensure that people who have experienced work-related stress are helped to re-engage with work without delay.

Tom Pursglove: The Government delivers an extensive programme of initiatives to support disabled people and people with health conditions, including work-related stress, to start or speedily return to work, as well as to stay, and succeed, in work. These include:Initiatives to support and encourage employers to support their staff, including those who have experienced work-related stress, to stay in, or return to, work, including: The Access to Work Mental Health Support Service (MHSS) providing up to 9 months of personalised, non-clinical support for people who need mental health support while in employment;Disability Confident, encouraging employers to think differently about disability and health, and to take positive action to address the issues disabled employees face in the workplace;An online Information Service called “Support with Employee Health and Disability”, providing better integrated and tailored guidance on supporting health and disability in the workplace;Increasing access to occupational health, including the testing of financial incentives for small and medium-sized enterprises and the self-employed;Access to Work grants helping towards extra costs of working beyond standard reasonable adjustments;Increased Work Coach support in Jobcentres for disabled people and people with health conditions receiving Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance;Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres offering advice and expertise on how to help disabled people and people with health conditions into work;Work in partnership between DWP and the health system, including:Employment Advice in NHS Talking Therapies, which combines psychological treatment and employment support for people with mental health conditions which includes support to return to work following mental health-related absences, and;The Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (IPSPC) programme, a Supported Employment model (place, train and maintain) delivered in health settings, aimed at people with physical or common mental health disabilities to support them to access paid jobs in the open labour market.The Work and Health Programme and Intensive Personalised Employment Support, providing tailored and personalised support for disabled people.

Department for Work and Pensions: Policy

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps they are taking to help ensure that their Department (a) gives sufficient attention to long term strategic challenges, (b) does not allow current events to slow down work on long term strategic issues and (c) consistently undertakes horizon scanning.

Mims Davies: The Department ensures it gives sufficient attention to long-term strategic issues through its Departmental Board, chaired by the Secretary of State, which brings together the Ministerial Team, the Executive Team and senior non-executive members from outside of government. The Board supports and advises ministers and the Department on strategic issues linked to the development and implementation of the Government’s objectives. The Department’s Outcome Delivery Plan sets out how we plan to deliver outcomes for customers in the short term – responding at pace to emerging risks – and the long term regardless of current events. Our aims include maximising employment and in-work progression, improving people’s quality of life and delivering excellent services for citizens and taxpayers. As we deliver our aims in the Outcome Delivery Plan, one of the tools we apply is horizon scanning across the Department and with other government departments. The Departmental Board scans for emerging issues, monitoring performance and overseeing the management of risks – setting the overall strategic direction for the Department in the long term in light of ministerial priorities and our Departmental Plan.

Employment: Child Care

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of trends in the level of accessible school-aged childcare on the number of parents returning to the workforce.

Mims Davies: No assessment has been made by this department. The Government recognises that childcare can affect parents’ decisions to take up paid work or increase their working hours. That is why, as announced at the Spring Budget, we are investing billions in additional childcare support for parents of toddlers, investing in wraparound childcare in schools, and increasing financial support for, and expectations of, parents claiming Universal Credit.

Attendance Allowance

Neale Hanvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the requirement for people to wait six months following the onset of invalidity before they can claim Attendance Allowance.

Laura Trott: Entitlement to Attendance Allowance is based on the on-going need for frequent personal care and attention, or supervision to ensure personal safety, rather than on the individual’s medical condition. The six-month qualifying period helps establish that the disability and the resulting care or supervision needs are of a long-term nature, and ensures the benefit goes to those for whom it is intended. Claims made under the Special Rules for those with less than 12 months to live do not have to satisfy the six-month qualifying period.

Work Capability Assessment: Selby

Keir Mather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time was for a Work Capability Assessment in Selby and Ainsty constituency in the latest period for which data is available.

Tom Pursglove: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. DWP publishes Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) Work Capability Assessment (WCA) national processing times for initial claims on GOV.UK. We are currently unable to provide Universal Credit (UC) WCA processing statistics as these could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in the context of married women who reach state pension age prior to 6th April 2016, whether it is his Department's policy for a woman who draws a category A state pension prior to her husband reaching pension age and who is widowed after her husband reaches pension age and draws his pension should be automatically assessed at the point of being widowed for a backdated category BL pension in the case where her category A pension is lower than the Category BL rate; and whether a woman over pension age with no entitlement to a category A state pension, and who is widowed after her husband reaches pension age and draws his pension should automatically be assessed at the point of being widowed for a deferred Category BL pension, with her date of claim treated as the date when her late husband first drew his pension.

Laura Trott: For married women who reach State Pension age prior to 6th April 2016 the Department’s policy is as follows. For those in receipt of a Category A state pension based on their own National Insurance contributions and whose husband became entitled to his state pension on or after 17th March 2008, a Category BL pension will be paid automatically by the Department. There is a LEAP exercise currently underway to identify and correct some historical cases where this did not happen. For those in receipt of a Category A pension and whose husband became entitled to his state pension before 17th March 2008, including where someone is widowed, a claim is required in order for the Department to be able to assess entitlement to any Category BL pension. Women who have not made a claim for and are not receiving a state pension at the point they are widowed must also make a claim to become entitled to a state pension based on their late husband’s National Insurance contributions. If it is their preference, they can get any Category BL pension backdated for a maximum of 12 months before their claim. They may also be entitled to a deferral payment (one-off lump sum or an additional weekly amount) for the time they have deferred their Category BL pension.

State Retirement Pensions

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the State Pension above the level prescribed by the triple lock.

Laura Trott: The Government remains committed to ensuring that older people can live with the dignity and respect they deserve, and the State Pension is the foundation of state support for older people. In April, the State Pension saw its biggest ever rise, increasing by 10.1%. The full yearly amount of the basic State Pension will be over £3,050 higher, in cash terms, than in 2010. That’s £790 more than if it had been uprated by Prices, and £945 more than if it had been uprated by earnings (since 2010). The Government also provides additional support to older people, which includes the provision of free bus passes, free prescriptions, and Winter Fuel Payments, with Cold Weather Payments for those in receipt of Pension Credit.

Universal Credit

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to page 5 of the British Medical Journal article entitled Impact of Universal Credit in North East England, published in 2019, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of that article's findings on the impact of Universal Credit deductions on (a) incidences of self-harm, (b) suicidal ideation, (c) alcohol and substance-use, (d) debt and (e) use of foodbanks in the North East of England.

Guy Opperman: No assessment has been made.

Universal Credit

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing increased support to people asked to migrate from (a) tax credits and (b) other legacy benefits to Universal Credit.

Guy Opperman: People who are asked to migrate to Universal Credit from Tax Credits, or other legacy benefits, can access a range of support including a dedicated DWP telephone line and Help to Claim, which provides tailored practical support. Those individuals who are unable to access support via these channels, can go to their local jobcentre where staff will identify the right support to meet their needs to make and/or manage their Universal Credit claim. Our research shows that the majority of the Tax Credit population so far have been able to successfully make the transition to Universal Credit with minimal support. In August 2023, we published our research and analysis. - Completing the Move to Universal Credit: learning from initial Tax Credit migrations - GOV.UK

Universal Credit

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that legacy benefit claimants do not have their support terminated before moving to Universal Credit.

Guy Opperman: It is a fundamental principle of social security in the United Kingdom that people need to make a claim for benefits. For those already in receipt of benefits, Parliament made it clear, though its passage of the Welfare Reform Act 2012, that entitlement to those benefits would cease as Universal Credit (UC) was implemented. The Department provides a range of support to individuals, to assist them during migration including a dedicated DWP telephone line and signposting to independent support through the Help to Claim service.  Help to Claim is an independent service and is available to those moving from legacy benefits because of managed migration, voluntary moves, or a change of circumstances. The Migration Notice is the key way in which we initially communicate with legacy benefit claimants to inform them of the requirement to migrate to UC within 3 months. However, we also provide a reminder after 7 weeks and at week 10. If claimants haven’t made a claim for UC and after the 3 month period, on a case by case basis, there is a grace period of 1 month within which a tax credit claimant can make a claim for UC without losing eligibility for transitional protection. Terminating benefits is our last resort. If a claimant does not claim by their extended deadline, they will be notified that their current benefit(s) will be terminated, unless they have significant support needs requiring a further extension. For those claimants who require significant support, we hold case conferences with Advanced Customer Support Senior Leaders who provide local expertise, working with different organisations to take a multi-agency approach. Where a claimant’s legacy benefit(s) has been terminated and they make a claim to UC within one month, their claim can be backdated to their deadline date and still be awarded Transitional Protection where applicable.

Universal Credit: Disability

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure protections for people with disabled worker status are maintained in the managed migration to Universal Credit.

Guy Opperman: People who are being moved to Universal Credit (UC) from Employment and Support Allowance take with them their Work Capability Assessment decision. They are not required to have another assessment to get the disability element they are entitled to on Universal Credit. At the point of moving over to Universal Credit as part of the managed migration process, all claimants will be assessed for transitional protection and paid where appropriate. Transitional protection is designed so that eligible claimants will not have a lower entitlement to Universal Credit than they had entitlement to legacy benefits, at the point they move to the new benefit system.

Employment: Older People

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to encourage businesses to employ (a) unemployed and (b) retired people aged over 60.

Guy Opperman: The Default Retirement Age was abolished in 2011, most people can work for as long as they choose to, and the Government is committed to ensuring that employers are aware of the wealth of skills and experience that older workers bring to the workplace. The Department for Work and Pensions engages with employers to encourage positive attitudes towards older workers. The Government appointed Andy Briggs as the Government’s Business Champion for Older Workers who spearheads work to promote the benefits of older workers and having multigenerational workforces to employers across England, and the adoption of suitable work practices to increase the retention, retraining and recruitment of older workers. In March 2023, the Minister for Social Mobility, Youth and Progression announced the appointment of Helen Tomlinson, as the Government’s Menopause Employment Champion, to drive awareness of issues surrounding the menopause and work and encourage employers to develop policies that create a more supportive environment to support women to stay in work, progress or re-join the labour market. The Department has signed the Age-friendly employer pledge, a nationwide programme run by the Centre for Ageing Better to promote age inclusive working practices. In turn, the National Employment and Partnership Team (NEPT) are engaging with employers and promoting the pledge to encourage others to sign up too.

Employment: Disability

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many disabled people or people with long term health conditions were eligible for the In-Work Progression Offer as of 31 August 2023.

Guy Opperman: The Department does not hold this information. The Department only gathers information on claimants who declare a disability or health condition. UC Claimants who have attended a Work Capability Assessment and have been found to have Limited Capability for Work, or Limited Capability for Work Related Activity, do not qualify for the In Work Progression Offer. UC Claimants in the Light Touch or Working Enough regimes are eligible for the In Work Progression offer on a voluntary basis. UC Claimants in these regimes who have a disability or long-term health condition are encouraged to notify the department as soon as possible.

Cost of Living: Pensions

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of increases in the cost-of-living on private pension funds.

Laura Trott: The latest data shows private pension opt out and stopping saving rates remain low.

Department for Education

Schools: Redundancy Pay

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many paid severances have been made by (a) all schools and (b) academy trusts in each of the last five years; and what the total cost to the public purse for those severances was in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: The Government requires a high level of accountability and transparency of academy trusts. Academy trusts’ status as companies, charities, and public sector bodies means they have a rigorous tri-partite framework and are held up to greater scrutiny. Academy trusts’ responsibilities on severance payments are set out in the Academy Trust Handbook available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/academy-trust-handbook. Additional information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academies-severance-payments-form. Data on severance payments is provided in academy trusts’ accounts and at sector level in the Academies Consolidated Annual Report and Accounts, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/academies-sector-annual-reports-and-accounts. In each report, severance payments are covered under the ‘Staff Costs’ section. Special severance payment (payments paid to employees outside statutory or contractual requirements) are listed under ‘Losses and Special Payments’. The latest sector data for the Consolidated Annual Report and Accounts year ending 31 August 2022 will be published in autumn 2023. As the responsibility for maintained schools’ severance payments sits with the school and the local authority, the department does not collect the number of severances or amounts paid by Local Authority maintained schools.

Apprentices: Enfield North

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support apprenticeships in Enfield North constituency.

Robert Halfon: Apprenticeships are crucial in driving growth and social mobility. They boost skills across the economy and improve people's earnings and career opportunities nationwide. Since 2010, there have been 7,790 apprenticeship starts in the Enfield North constituency, and the department wants to ensure that this number continues to grow.To support this, the government is increasing investment in apprenticeships to £2.7 billion by 2024/25, encouraging more employers across the country to recruit new apprentices. The department has introduced flexible training models, such as flexi-job and accelerated apprenticeships, to make apprenticeships more accessible and has improved the transfer system so that levy-payers can make better use of their funds. We are also supporting employers to access apprenticeships by reducing administrative burdens and cutting the number of steps needed to register to take on an apprentice by one third.The department recognises the vital role that small to medium-sized employers (SMEs) play in creating apprenticeship opportunities. That is why we removed the limit on the number of apprentices that smaller employers can take on, making it easier for SMEs to grow their businesses with the skilled apprentices they need.The department is also allocating an additional £40 million over the next two years to support degree apprenticeship providers to expand and help more people access this provision, on top of our £8 million investment in 2022/23.Furthermore, in August, the care leavers bursary increased for apprentices under the age of 25 from £1,000 to £3,000, supporting more people from all backgrounds to undertake apprenticeships.We continue to promote apprenticeships to young people in schools and further education colleges across the country through our Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge programme, and UCAS will be expanding its service to allow students to search for and apply to apprenticeships alongside degrees.

Universities: Antisemitism and Iran

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions her Department has had with student bodies on tackling (a) anti-Semitic and (b) pro-Iranian messaging in universities.

Robert Halfon: The government is clear that antisemitism is abhorrent and has no place in higher education (HE), and our universities should be welcoming and inclusive environments.HE providers have clear responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010, to adopt robust policies and procedures that enable them to investigate and swiftly address reports of antisemitism. The Prevent duty requires relevant HE bodies, when exercising their functions, to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism.Department officials meet regularly with the Union of Jewish Students to discuss our collective efforts in the ongoing fight against antisemitism on university campuses.

Universities: Student Wastage

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of students dropped out of the first year of their university course between 2015 and 2019.

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of students dropped out of the first year of their university course between 2020 and 2023.

Robert Halfon: Figures on non-continuation following year one of entry are published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) for full-time first-degree entrants starting higher education courses between 2015/16 and 2019/20. The statistics published by HESA are summarised in Table 1 in the accompanying excel attachment .More recent information on continuation rates, which are the inverse of non-continuation or drop-out rates, for first year full-time degree entrants entering higher education are published by the Office for Students (OfS). The statistics published by OfS are summarised in Table 2 in the accompanying excel attachment.Early in-year student withdrawal notifications are published by Student Loans Company (SLC) for the academic years 2018/19 through to 2022/23, and offer a more up-to-date indication of students not continuing their studies. The most recent publication has an effective date of 31 May of each academic year. The statistics published by SLC are summarised in Table 3 in the accompanying excel attachment.HE_continuation_table (xlsx, 32.4KB)

Cabinet Office

Cabinet Office: Buildings

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) has been found within their Department's estate.

Alex Burghart: Survey work is underway. For now, the focus is on bringing together the information we hold about the Government estate into one place. This work is being coordinated by the Office for Government Property.

Travel: Costs

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an estimate of the change in the relative cost of travelling by (a) car, (b) train and (c) bus in each year since 2003, using 2003 as the base figure of 100 and discounting inflation.

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the real terms cost of travelling by air was in each year since 2010 using 2010 as the baseline.

Jeremy Quin: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Member’s Parliamentary Question of 5th September is attached. UK Statistics Authority (pdf, 123.1KB)

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Carbon Emissions

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will publish the risk tables which set out the estimated level of risk for each policy and proposal in the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan laid before Parliament on 29 March 2023.

Graham Stuart: The Department does not intend to publish the risk tables, which were internal documents created to support the development of the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan, published in March this year.

Large Goods Vehicles: Carbon Emissions

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an estimate of the level of carbon emissions from road haulage in each year since 2010.

Graham Stuart: The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero publishes annual statistics on UK territorial greenhouse gas emissions:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/final-uk-greenhouse-gas-emissions-national-statistics-1990-to-2021 Emissions from road transport by vehicle type from 1990 up to 2021 can be found in table 1.2. Emissions by Standard Industrial Classification (SIC), which include ‘freight transport by road and removal services’ as a category, can be found in the supplementary tables.

Natural Gas: Methane

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate her Department has made of the relative levels of methane emissions associated with (a) domestically produced and (b) imported gas.

Graham Stuart: The Government does not hold this data. North Sea Transition Authority analysis shows that domestically produced gas releases around one quarter the carbon dioxide during the process of extraction, treatment and transportation, when compared to imported liquefied natural gas.

Insulation: Housing

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has made an estimate of the value to the UK economy from improving home insulation.

Graham Stuart: The Government's ambition for low-carbon heating systems and energy efficiency measures has the potential to add up to £10 billion per year in Gross Value Added and support around 240,000 jobs in 2035.Source: Powering up Britain – The Net Zero Growth Plan (page 58)

Energy Company Obligation: Enfield North

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many households in Enfield North constituency have received support from Energy Company Obligation schemes in each year that they have operated.

Graham Stuart: The number of households that have received Energy Company Obligation (ECO) measures in Enfield North constituency in each year since 2013 can be found in the table below: YearNumber of Households receiving ECO measures20136432014763201593020162092017602018336201910220208720212522022240Jan – Jun 20238 Source: Household Energy Efficiency Statistics, headline release August 2023 (underlying data)

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero: Buildings

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) has been found within their Department's estate.

Graham Stuart: Departments have been asked to report on the current picture of suspected and confirmed RAAC in their estates as soon as possible. This will be updated on a regular basis as new buildings are identified and surveying and remediation are carried out. Government published lists of education settings confirmed as having RAAC on Wednesday 6 September and committed to providing further updates.

Energy: Meters

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2023 to Question 197604 on Energy: Prices, what steps her Department plans to take to support households in those areas that will not be covered by the smart metre rollout.

Amanda Solloway: The Data Communications Company (DCC) provides Wide Area Network (WAN) coverage for smart meters to at least 99.25% of premises across Great Britain. The DCC is also obligated under its licence conditions to explore solutions to increase the overall level of coverage even further. Ofgem is responsible for regulating the DCC against these obligations. The DCC is currently developing a business case exploring solutions, including an option for using already available internet-connected Consumer Access Devices to provide smart services, which require a broadband connection. The Department expects to receive initial proposals from DCC shortly for review.

Energy: Meters

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2023 to Question 197604 on Energy: Prices, what steps she is taking to help ensure households can connect smart metres to central recording service where current wi-fi technology does not support such communications.

Amanda Solloway: The Data Communications Company (DCC) provides Wide Area Network (WAN) coverage for smart meters to at least 99.25% of premises across Great Britain. The DCC is also obligated under its licence conditions to explore solutions to increase the overall level of coverage even further. Ofgem is responsible for regulating the DCC against these obligations.

Energy: Meters

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the installation of prepayment meters on trends in the level of energy debt in the last 12 months.

Amanda Solloway: Ofgem works to protect energy consumers. To ensure that their work is informed by the needs of Britain’s energy consumers, they regularly monitor levels of debt and arrears of UK domestic consumers. This is available at https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/debt-and-arrears-indicators

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Recycling and Waste Management

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help improve coordination on recycling and waste management strategies with local authorities.

Rebecca Pow: This is a devolved matter and the information provide therefore relates to England only. We recognise there are efficiencies and service improvements that can be achieved by joined up working. Currently there are levers and activities that encourage coordinated activity. For example, requirements to cooperate when appropriate in relation to planning waste infrastructure and requirements for joint municipal waste management strategies in ‘two tier’ systems. Upcoming reforms for consistent collections will significantly support joint working by ensuring minimum requirements across all local authorities. This will help remove barriers and support local authorities to identify opportunities for more coordinated action.

Fish

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to provide additional (a) guidance and (b) funding to (i) the Environment Agency and (ii) local authorities to help with the response to changes in the levels of fish deaths.

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of levels of premature fish deaths in (a) rivers and (b) other fresh waterways this June; how many such deaths there were in each of the last five years; and what assessment she has made of the potential causes of changes in the levels of such deaths.

Rebecca Pow: Data from the Environment Agency shows that by the end of June 2023 the number of confirmed incidents involving fish kills was higher than in the last five years. However, by the end of August the total number of confirmed cases was similar to that in the last five years. Extreme weather including continuous hot temperatures and thunderstorms as experienced in June can be dangerous for fish. Fish death incidents are not always due to a single cause and it is often the combination of several factors including temperature, water levels or flows, algal blooms, pollution and fish disease that are responsible. The Plan for Water sets out broad actions to improve England’s water quality and aquatic species, including reducing pollution from agriculture, sewage, wastewater and transport.

Food: Production

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) agriculture and (b) horticulture businesses have access to adequate water for food production.

Rebecca Pow: The Government is committed to strong domestic food production and the Plan for Water sets out the actions we are taking to secure water supplies, including for the agriculture and horticulture sectors. The Government and the Environment Agency are working with the sectors to help them improve the resilience of water supplies for the future. The package of support includes improvements to water resources planning and investment in infrastructure, for example by aiming to increase the amount of water stored by the agriculture and horticulture sectors to support food production and protect the water environment. This includes £20 million of grants to help farmers with the costs of building on-farm water reservoirs and irrigation equipment, through two rounds of the Water Management Grant under the Farming Investment Fund.

Horses: Animal Welfare

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to introduce a national education programme into equine welfare.

Trudy Harrison: My Department currently has no plans to introduce a government programme in this area. The governments statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Their Hybrids provides owners and keepers with welfare information concerning equines. The Code of Practice can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-practice-for-the-welfare-of-horses-ponies-donkeys-and-their-hybrids In addition, the equine welfare sector promotes good welfare practice through their respective websites and via social media. Advice from the British Horse Society is available at https://www.bhs.org.uk/horse-care-and-welfare/health-care-management/tethering/.

Horses: Animal Welfare

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will introduce legislation to increase transparency in (a) investigations, (b) police reports and (c) prosecutions into cases of equine welfare.

Trudy Harrison: The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 amends the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (the 2006 Act) to provide one of the toughest sanctions in Europe and strengthens the UK's position as a global leader on animal welfare. The 2006 Act’s maximum sentence of five years and/or an unlimited fine applies to the most serious animal cruelty offences, including causing unnecessary suffering, and is a significant step forward in improving animal welfare. The 2006 Act is backed up by the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Their Hybrids which provides owners with information on how to meet the welfare needs of their equines, as required by the 2006 Act. The Code of Practice can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-practice-for-the-welfare-of-horses-ponies-donkeys-and-their-hybrids.

Waste: Crime

Keir Mather: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to help tackle waste crime in Selby and Ainsty constituency.

Rebecca Pow: The Government is committed to tackling waste crime, which is a blight on our local communities and the environment and damages legitimate businesses. We have strengthened regulators' powers, are tightening the law and have increased the Environment Agency's budget by £10 million per year to make it harder for rogue operators to find work in the sector and easier for regulators to take action against criminals. The Prime Minister’s Anti-social Behaviour Action Plan set out how we will support councils across the country to take tougher action against those who fly-tip such as by raising the upper limit on fixed penalty notices to £1,000, which we did earlier this year. The Environment Agency’s Yorkshire Area has a dedicated team focussed on the investigation of waste crime across Yorkshire. All reports of waste related crime are recorded on the Environment Agency National Incident Recording System and investigated in order of seriousness. As of 1 September 2023, the Environment Agency’s Yorkshire team is dealing with 37 active illegal waste sites across Yorkshire with 10 ongoing serious and significant investigations. None of these are in the Selby area. The team has completed six investigations into illegal waste sites and these have been authorised for prosecution and are being progressed. One of these is in the Selby area although the site is no longer active. Since September 2022, the Environment Agency has closed 34 illegal sites in Yorkshire.

Consumer Goods: Packaging

Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to reduce the packaging used for distributing (a) consumables and (b) non-consumables within manufacturers' supply chains.

Rebecca Pow: Our proposals for Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging will make businesses financially responsible for the waste management costs of the packaging they use or supply that ends up in household bins and street bins. This includes packaging used to distribute products purchased online directly to consumers. This will encourage businesses to reduce the amount of packaging they use and to use packaging that can be recycled easily. The UK Government jointly with the Devolved Administrations is consulting currently on the draft Regulations that will introduce Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging. These do not include any specific requirements on businesses to reduce distribution packaging.

Consumer Goods: Packaging

Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has produced guidance on (a) the use of packaging by manufacturers when distributing (i) consumables and (ii) non-consumables to their supply chain and (b) declaring the amount of packaging used for operational processing.

Rebecca Pow: Guidance for obligated businesses on their current packaging waste recycling responsibilities is published on GOV.UK. The requirements include registering with the regulator, reporting data on the packaging they use or supply, meeting recycling obligations and obtaining evidence of compliance with the regulations. Guidance has also been published on GOV.UK on meeting new reporting requirements under the Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging scheme. Defra has not published guidance on the use of packaging by manufacturers when distributing products.

Dogs: Artificial Insemination

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many prosecutions there have been under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 of non-veterinary surgeons who have performed canine artificial insemination in the last five years.

Trudy Harrison: Defra has made no prosecutions under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 of non-veterinary surgeons who have performed canine artificial insemination in the last five years. Defra does not have data for such prosecutions made by other organisations.

Flood Control: North Yorkshire

Keir Mather: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the risk of flooding in North Yorkshire.

Rebecca Pow: Flood risk in North Yorkshire is complex and the Environment Agency works collaboratively with partners, including Local Authorities, Internal Drainage Boards and Yorkshire Water, to manage the risk of flooding and better protect people and properties in the county.The Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management six-year Capital Investment Programme from 2021 to 2027 will see over £130 million being invested into North Yorkshire (including York), resulting in over 2000 properties benefitting from increased protection. Over 70 projects will be delivered across the county, including a new major £16 million flood alleviation scheme for Tadcaster, as well as further schemes within the Selby and Ainsty constituency in Selby, Cawood and Riccall.The City of York Council OuseWem project programme looks at long-term catchment-scale nature-based solutions to help to improve flood resilience across North Yorkshire and in York. This forms part of the Government’s £150 million flood and coastal resilience innovation programme. This innovative project will secure a sustainable reduction in flood risk and plays a key role in the delivery of the National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy for England. A mixture of built flood defences alongside working with nature, adaptation, and increased resilience is key given North Yorkshire’s predominantly rural nature.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Cybersecurity: Grants

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology with reference to Government grants statistics 2020 to 2021, published on 31 March 2022, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Cyber Security - General 2021 Fund.

George Freeman: This grant supported the delivery of the National Cyber Security Strategy objective to create the right ecosystem in the UK to develop and sustain a cyber security sector that can meet our national security demands. This included the creation of the UK Cyber Security Council. Following public consultation in 2018, the Institution of Engineering the Technology was awarded grant funding in 2019 to form the Council to coordinate the growing cyber security workforce. The organisation was launched in 2021, is now in full operation and is recognised by Royal Charter.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Disclosure of Information

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what the average response time to subject access requests was by their Department in the latest period for which data is available; and if they will make an assessment of the adequacy of that response time.

George Freeman: We endeavour to respond to all Subject Access Requests (SAR) received within the Statutory timescales listed within the DPA2018 and UK GDPR. DSIT was founded in February 2023 so there is not yet enough data to comment meaningfully on performance or response times. Making the most of the opportunities presented by the formation of a new department, the new team is working to maximise efficiency and innovation. Performance is regularly reviewed to ensure response times and backlogs are managed.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Correspondence

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps they are taking to reduce backlogs of Member correspondence in their office.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what data their Department holds on the average response time to enquiries by Members; and what assessment they have made of the adequacy of that response time.

George Freeman: The Government attaches great importance to the effective and timely handling of correspondence, particularly from Parliamentarians. As per the Cabinet Office’s Guide to Handling Correspondence on gov.uk, departments and agencies should aim to respond to correspondence within a 20-working day target deadline.With regards to timeliness of responses to enquiries received by members, the Cabinet Office published data on this for 2022 for all government departments on GOV.UK in March 2023, and will be publishing data for Q1 and Q2 2023 shortly. The 2022 data can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/data-on-responses-to-correspondence-from-mps-and-peers-2022Every effort must be made to reply to correspondence promptly and within the original deadline. However, if the matters raised in the correspondence require substantial investigation, it might not be possible to provide a substantive reply to a case within the departmental deadline.DSIT was founded in February 2023 so there is not yet enough data to comment meaningfully on performance or response times. Making the most of the opportunities presented by the formation of a new department, the new team is working to maximise efficiency and innovation. Performance is regularly reviewed to ensure response times and backlogs are managed.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Freedom of Information

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps their Department is taking to improve the response time to FOI requests.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the average time taken by his Department to respond to freedom of information requests in the 2022-23 financial year.

George Freeman: DSIT was founded in February 2023 so there is not yet enough data to comment meaningfully on performance or response times. Making the most of the opportunities presented by the formation of a new department, the new team is working to maximise efficiency and innovation. Performance is regularly reviewed to ensure response times and backlogs are managed. Official National Statistics on FOI performance for all central government departments and other monitored bodies can be found on www.gov.uk at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics. The Department continually monitors and looks for ways to improve its FOI Performance.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Public Inquiries

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what has been the average time taken to respond to public inquiries by her Department in each of the last five years; and whether she plans to introduce measures to improve this

George Freeman: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT; of which Government Office for Science is a part) is a relatively new department and as such has not responded to any Public Inquiries. It is however supporting and responding to requests from the current COVID-19 Public Inquiry.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Labour Turnover

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what information their Department holds on the level of staff retention; and what steps they are taking to improve staff retention.

George Freeman: As a newly formed Department, we are developing employee reports. Employee data on joiners and leavers exist, other measures including length of service will be developed in time.For the financial year 2023/24, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has had c.100 joiners and c.30 leavers (payroll staff only).

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Digital Technology

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps their Department is taking to improve its digital services to provide better (a) accessibility and (b) user experience for the public.

George Freeman: Services delivered by the Department must meet level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. We retain an accessibility subject matter expert to provide guidance on best practice. Our Digital team works in partnership with policy officials so digital services adhere to user-centred design principles and accessibility standards set out by Cabinet Office in the service manual and the technology code of practise. A service assessment takes place prior to the launch of a service so that any issues with adherence are identified along with an action plan and mitigations to optimise user experience.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Written Questions

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps their Department is taking to improve response times to written parliamentary questions.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what data their Department holds on the average response time to written parliamentary questions in the last six months; and what assessment they have made of the adequacy of that response time.

George Freeman: The Government attaches great importance to the effective and timely handling of Written Parliamentary Questions. There are three types of Written Parliamentary Question. The Cabinet Office’s Guide to Parliamentary Work sets out the timelines departments should seek to meet. This can be found here. Departmental performance on Written Parliamentary Questions is published at the end of each session by the Procedure Committee and is therefore publicly available. You can find details of the last session's PQ performance here. This year's data will be published by the Procedure Committee when the session concludes. Every effort must be made to reply to Written Parliamentary Questions within the original deadline. However, if the matters raised in the question require substantial investigation, it might not be possible to provide a substantive reply to a case within the departmental deadline. DSIT was founded in February 2023 so there is not yet enough data to comment meaningfully on performance or response times. Making the most of the opportunities presented by the formation of a new department, the new team is working to maximise efficiency and innovation. Performance is regularly reviewed to ensure response times and backlogs are managed.

Digital Technology: Grants

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to Government grants statistics 2020 to 2021, published on 31 March 2022, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Cynam Pilot Cluster Project.

George Freeman: This grant supported the delivery of the National Cyber Security Strategy, specifically the objective to create the right ecosystem in the UK to develop and sustain a cyber security sector that can meet our national security demands. Specifically, this pilot supported the growth of the sector across the whole of the UK. The purpose of this grant was to identify an operating framework for the existing regional cyber security clusters to build their capacity and support growth of the cyber sector in the regions. The pilot project produced a suite of guidance, including a cluster board governance model, cluster operating principles and a cluster onboarding timeline, as well as recommending the formation of an official body for UK cyber clusters. As a direct result of this Project, the UK Cyber Cluster Collaboration (UKC3) was established.

Digital Technology: Grants

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to Government grants statistics 2020 to 2021, published on 31 March 2022, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Cyber Exchange Grant 20/21.

George Freeman: This grant supported the delivery of the National Cyber Security Strategy, specifically the objective to create the right ecosystem in the UK to develop and sustain a cyber security sector that can meet our national security demands. The Cyber Exchange platform helps organisations discover opportunities to support sector growth and provides Government with a valuable industry network. Each month techUK provides a report outlining progress against several KPIs which form the basis of the grant agreement. As of July 2023, the website receives over 6000 monthly impressions, the newsletter has over 1200 subscribers and there are over 4000 followers across LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter). The platform is being continuously improved to meet user needs.

Digital Technology: Grants

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to Government grants statistics 2020 to 2021, published on 31 March 2022, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Dynamo Cyber Skills Pilot Cluster Project 2021 Grant.

George Freeman: This grant supported the delivery of the National Cyber Security Strategy, specifically the objective to create the right ecosystem in the UK to develop and sustain a cyber security sector that can meet our national security demands. Specifically, this pilot supported the growth of the sector outside London and the southeast. This grant funding was used by the Northeast cyber security cluster to gather insight into the cyber skills gap in the northeast of England. The cluster engaged with local industry, the education sector and local government through a series of events in early 2021. The output of this project was a series of recommendations that continue to form the basis of the NE cluster’s skills outreach within the region.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Cybersecurity

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to (a) enhance cybersecurity and (b) protect personal data.

George Freeman: Being cyber secure and protecting personal data underpins everything we do in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). In accordance with the Government Cyber Security Strategy we are working to ensure our critical functions will be significantly hardened to cyber attack by 2025, with all government organisations across the whole public sector being resilient to known vulnerabilities and attack methods no later than 2030. In addition, through the government’s £2.6 billion National Cyber Strategy, DSIT is enhancing UK cyber security by strengthening the UK’s cyber ecosystem, improving cyber resilience and taking the lead in the technologies vital to cyber power. When Parliamentary time allows we intend to update Network & Information Systems Regulations to improve cyber security in our essential and digital services. The government is also committed to maintaining high data protection standards. The Data Protection and Digital Information (No. 2) Bill maintains the fundamental data protection principles in the UK GDPR, including requirements for organisations to ensure the processing of personal data is secure.

Horizon Europe

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, for what reasons the UK has not joined Horizon Europe; and what her planned timescale is for negotiating the UK’s association to Horizon Europe.

George Freeman: On 7th September, the Prime Minister announced that the UK would associate to Horizon Europe. The Government has negotiated a bespoke deal in the UK’s national interest and UK scientists can participate confidently in Horizon Europe, the world’s largest programme of research cooperation.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Concrete

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) has been found within their Department's estate.

George Freeman: Survey work is underway. For now, the focus is on bringing together the information we hold about the Government estate into one place. This work is being coordinated by the Office for Government Property.

Artificial Intelligence: Grants

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to Government grants statistics 2020 to 2021, published on 31 March 2022, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Office of Artificial Intelligence 2021 Grant.

Paul Scully: In 2021 the UK published the National AI Strategy which set out our ten year plan to strengthen the UK’s role as a global AI leader and which built on the success of the 2018 AI Sector Deal and continuing commitments to improve the AI skills and talent of the UK workforce.The AI Sector Deal committed to an Industry-Funded Masters in AI (IMAI) programme, which included support for up to 200 AI Masters places at UK universities, starting in September 2019.The programme successfully leveraged £3.3 of industry funding for AI Masters for every £1 of public spend. Beyond the financial benefits, the design of the programme facilitated engagement between Higher Education Institutions and large companies, including DeepMind, Quantum Black, BAE Systems and others. The government provided an opportunity for students across the majority of regions to develop their skills in AI, with twelve out of seventeen institutions located outside of London and the South East. By facilitating partnerships between industry and academia, participating universities were able to improve the business relevance of their AI Masters’ courses, helping to meet the demand for industry relevant skills.Despite these significant accomplishments, the evaluation highlighted several limitations in the programme. A lack of appropriate data collection meant there were limited mechanisms for evaluating student participation and graduate outcomes. The initial targets were set relatively high and future programmes would benefit from a more evidence based approach to set more realistic targets. Finally, stakeholders indicated that more could have been done to publicise the programme to industry, Higher Education Institutions and students.The successes and limitations of the IMAI programme have already shaped and informed the design and delivery of the AI and Data Science Conversion Course programme, announced in 2019 – including how to successfully leverage industry funding – which has been incorporated into the design of the second phase of the AI and Data Science Conversion Course programme. The appointment of a dedicated employer engagement partner is ensuring a targeted focus on building strong relationships between industry, academia, participating students, and the wider AI skills community to drive stronger stakeholder involvement in the programme. The programme is also focused on improving the diversity of students taking up AI courses, and emerging findings from our improved data collection process has enabled us to demonstrate the value of scholarships in improving diversity and the representation of women, as well as black and disabled students in the AI ecosystem.

Intellectual Property and Patents: Fraud and Theft

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate she has made of the cost to UK companies of intellectual property and patent (a) theft and (b) fraud from December 2019 to December 2022.

Paul Scully: The Government takes the issue of IP crime and infringement seriously and is working with industry and law enforcement agencies on initiatives to tackle this issue. The UK Intellectual Property Office supports the Police IP Crime Unit, and last year they successfully completed operations at retail outlets and online, seizing dangerous counterfeit goods. The Intellectual Property Office is working closely with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to estimate the cost of counterfeiting to the UK economy. This OECD report estimated that fake goods imported to the UK were worth GBP 13.6 billion in 2016. This report is currently being updated and is due to be published in 2024.

4G: Greater London

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Shared Rural Network on 4G mobile signals across (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) the London Borough of Enfield and (c) London.

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many new 4G mobile signal masts have been constructed in Enfield North constituency under the Shared Rural Network; and if she will list the mobile network operators responsible for their construction.

Sir John Whittingdale: The Shared Rural Network (SRN) will extend mobile coverage to 95% of the UK landmass, addressing the digital divide by improving 4G coverage in the areas that need it most. Enfield North, the London Borough of Enfield and London itself already have very good 4G coverage, with 100% of the constituency area being covered with 4G by all four mobile network operators, and as such will not be targeted by the SRN programme.

4G: South Holland and the Deepings

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many (a) partial and (b) total not-spots for 4G mobile signal are in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

Sir John Whittingdale: Ofcom publishes mobile coverage data in its Connected Nations report. In its summer update, Ofcom reports that for 4G geographic coverage, 6% of the constituency area is made up of partial not-spots (where there is coverage from at least one operator, but not all four), and 0.01% total not-spots.

Treasury

Tax Avoidance: Prosecutions

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of (a) promoters and (b) operators of schemes subject to the loan charge who have been prosecuted for (i) promoting and (ii) operating those schemes, as of 8 September 2023.

Victoria Atkins: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 July 2023 to Question UIN 192681

Tax Avoidance: Insolvency

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who (a) have and (b) will become financially insolvent as a result of the Loan Charge.

Victoria Atkins: HMRC cannot provide an estimate for the number of people subject to the Loan Charge who have become insolvent as they could have become insolvent for many reasons.

Tax Avoidance

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps HMRC has taken to issue loan charge refunds following the Morse Review 2018.

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish guidance issued by his Department on issuing loan charge refunds following the Morse Review in 2018.

Victoria Atkins: I refer the Honourable Member to the answer that was given on 27 April 2023 to the question UIN 182076.

Research and Development Expenditure Credit: Carbon Emissions

Dr Jamie Wallis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of expanding research and development tax relief to include capital equipment relating to industrial decarbonisation.

Victoria Atkins: The Government provides a Research & Development Allowance (RDA) which gives relief for capital expenditure on R&D incurred by a trader. This includes plant, machinery and buildings used for R&D activity.In 2021, the Government previously consulted on targeting the R&D tax reliefs towards R&D with specific social value, for example green technology. It was noted that differentiated tax relief for specific R&D would increase complexity and compliance costs, widen the scope for abuse, and could be less effective than direct government spending.

Tax Avoidance

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people HM Revenue and Customs was seeking loan charge payments from in relation to the tax years before April 2010, as of 8 September 2023.

Victoria Atkins: In the 2019 Independent Loan Charge Review, Lord Morse recommended that the Loan Charge should only apply to loans made on or after 9 December 2010. The Government accepted this recommendation.However, Lord Morse was also clear that, for years before this date, where there is an open enquiry or assessment under appeal HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) should still have the ability to pursue the tax due under the existing rules. HMRC has proceeded on this basis.HMRC continues to work with and support taxpayers to resolve all outstanding enquiries and assessments relating to their use of disguised remuneration (DR) loans, in accordance with their published DR settlement terms and HMRC’s Litigation and Settlement Strategy.

Aviation: Carbon Emissions

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps he is taking to reduce emissions from the aviation sector.

Gareth Davies: The Government has introduced several fiscal measures to reduce emissions from the aviation sector. The aviation sector is subject to a carbon price via the Emissions Trading Scheme, meaning that airline operators must pay for each tonne of carbon that they emit. Some airline operators in the scheme receive free allowances which reduces their exposure to the carbon price. Following a consultation last year, the UK ETS Authority has announced its decision to phase out free allocation for domestic aviation by 2026. Air Passenger Duty (APD) is the principal tax on the aviation sector. It is expected to raise £3.8 billion in 2023-24 and the primary objective of the tax is to ensure that airlines make a fair contribution to the public finances. The banding structure for distance ensures that those who travel furthest, and thus have a greater impact on the environment, incur a greater tax liability. Further, the Government has committed £685 million to the Aerospace Technology Institute over this Spending Review period to help drive the development of more carbon efficient and zero-emission aircraft. At the Spending Review the Government also guaranteed funding for the Aerospace Technology Institute to 2031. Plus, £165 million has been allocated to directly support the production of more sustainable aviation fuels in the UK.

Technology: Fraud

Jim Shannon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to impose a duty on (a) technology, (b) social media and (c) telecommunication companies to contribute towards the costs of refunding victims of fraud which originated on their platforms.

Gareth Davies: It is vital that the tech sector takes a proactive role to prevent online fraud and that the requirement on the sector is proportionate to their ability, as a platform host, to identify online fraud. In recognition of the responsibility of the tech sector for tackling fraud, the Online Safety Bill will place a requirement on relevant companies to take preventive measures to stop fraudulent content and advertising from appearing on their platforms, or face fines of up to £18m or 10% of their annual turnover. In the interim, the Fraud Strategy, published by the Home Office in May, set out measures to reduce fraud incidents by 10% by the end of the current Parliament, including the announcement that the government would negotiate and agree a voluntary Online Fraud Charter with the tech sector by the end of the summer. We will publish further details on the Charter in due course.

Banks: Greater London

Feryal Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of high street bank branch closures in (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) the London Borough of Enfield and (c) London on people affected by those closures in those areas.

Feryal Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of access to (a) cash and (b) banking services in (i) Enfield North constituency, (ii) the London Borough of Enfield and (iii) London; and what steps he is taking to ensure adequate access to (A) cash and (B) banking services in those areas in the next five years.

Andrew Griffith: The government believes that all customers, wherever they live, should have appropriate access to banking and cash services. The government has legislated to protect access to cash. The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 provides the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with responsibility and powers to seek to ensure reasonable provision of cash access services. The FCA is currently developing its approach and will consult in due course. Regarding bank branch closures, these decisions are a commercial issue for banks and building societies. The government does not intervene in these decisions or make direct assessments of these branch networks. Guidance from the Financial Conduct Authority sets out its expectation of firms when they are deciding to reduce their physical branches or the number of free-to-use ATMs. Firms are expected to carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on the everyday banking and cash access needs of their customers and consider possible alternative access arrangements. This ensures that the implementation of closure decisions is undertaken in a way that treats customers fairly. Alternative options for access to banking can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking, and the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows 99% of personal banking and 95% of business banking customers to deposit cheques, check their balance and withdraw and deposit cash at 11,500 Post Office branches in the UK. New shared Banking Hubs are also being introduced, providing cash and basic banking services and dedicated space where community bankers from major banks can meet customers of that bank. To date, industry has committed to deliver Banking Hubs in 80 locations. Further information on Banking Hubs is available at: https://www.cashaccess.co.uk/

Ministry of Defence

Australia: Navy

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Australian (a) military and (b) civilian Defence personnel are embedded in (i) the Royal Navy and (ii) UK submarine industrial bases as part of the AUKUS agreement.

James Cartlidge: There are currently three Australian military personnel embedded in the Royal Navy, within the Submarine Officer Nuclear Training pipeline, with an additional two Royal Australian Navy personnel embedded in the Submarine Delivery Agency and Defence Nuclear Organisation.

Global Response Force

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, where will the Global Response Force be based.

James Heappey: As set out in the Defence Command Paper Refresh, the Global Response Force will be our deployed and high readiness forces and draw on capabilities from across Defence in all domains, and across all parts of the UK.

Ministry of Defence: Reorganisation

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Defence Command Paper Refresh, published on 18 July 2023, when the process of redesigning the Defence Operating Model began.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Defence Command Paper Refresh, published on 18 July 2023, who is leading the process of redesigning the Defence Operating Model.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Defence Command Paper Refresh, published on 18 July 2023, whether his Department is still committed to the Levene Defence Operating Model.

James Heappey: As set out in the Defence Command Paper 'Defence's response to a more contested and volatile world', published on 18 July 2023, much has changed in the decade since the Levene Review. In Spring 2023, we commissioned a review of the Defence Operating Model to optimise our response to the current dynamic threat environment. ‘Defence Design’ is led and directed by the Defence Executive Committee, supported by a small team who are engaging with experts and colleagues from across Defence, wider government, industry and academia. As we design the future operating model, we will pilot improvements in priority areas across the system to drive change iteratively and quickly, aiming for significant changes to be in place from April 2024. Most of the work is anticipated to be completed within 18 and 24 months, however, we expect to regularly review and iterate our Operating Model to ensure it meets our needs thereafter.

Sahel: Security

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 19 July to Question 193312 on Sahel: Security, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on the potential risks of providing training to the Directorate General of External Research in Cameroon; and whether he has received representations from external stakeholders on this matter.

James Heappey: The Secretary of State for Defence has not had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs or external stakeholders on this matter.

Warrior Vehicles

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to resurrect the Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme.

James Cartlidge: The Department has no plans to resurrect the cancelled Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme.

Warrior Vehicles

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Warrior armoured fighting vehicles his Department plans to keep in operational service in 2026.

James Cartlidge: An appropriate number of Warrior armoured fighting vehicles will remain in service until new concepts and capabilities are introduced into service throughout the decade, ensuring operational requirements continue to be met. I am withholding further information on the number of Warrior which will be available for operational deployment as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness, or security of the Armed Forces.

Warrior Vehicles

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the additional cost of continuing the Warrior armoured fighting vehicle in service.

James Cartlidge: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 14 July 2023 to Question 194148.Warrior Vehicles (docx, 22.5KB)

Armed Forces: Recruitment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) RAF accept applications from people with dual nationality to join as (i) a commissioned officer and (ii) another rank.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applicants to join the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) RAF as commissioned officers were rejected because of dual nationality status in each year since 2010.

Dr Andrew Murrison: To be eligible to apply to join the UK Armed Forces an individual must be British (British Citizen, British Overseas Citizen, British Overseas Territory Citizen, British National (Overseas) Citizen, British Protected Person or British Subject), Irish or a Commonwealth Citizen. This can be as a sole or dual national. The British Army is also home to the Brigade of Gurkhas who are from Nepal. Data is not held in the format required to state how many applications from dual nationals have been rejected in each year since 2010. Applications are looked at on a case-by-case basis in relation to the requirements of the Service, rank and role for which someone has applied, and can be rejected for several reasons. Those who apply who do hold one or more permitted nationalities will be accepted if they meet all the other recruitment criteria applicable to the Service, rank and role they are applying. Dual nationals might, like sole nationals, be rejected if they do not have the required UK residency for vetting purposes. This also varies depending on the Service, role and rank applied for.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Afghan people who acted as interpreters for the British military remain in Afghanistan as of 6 September 2023.

James Heappey: As of 6 September, there are 582 confirmed ARAP-eligible principal applicants in Afghanistan. This figure excludes family members. It is not possible to provide a breakdown of this figure by job role, however, we know who worked for the UK armed forces and our partners across Government in Afghanistan, including those who acted as interpreters for the British military, and we continue to search for these within the wider list of applications as the priority.

Ministry of Defence: Policy

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps they are taking to help ensure that their Department (a) gives sufficient attention to long term strategic challenges, (b) does not allow current events to slow down work on long term strategic issues and (c) consistently undertakes horizon scanning.

James Heappey: The Department has established dedicated teams responsible for long-term strategic planning and strategy development to ensure we are able to focus on long-term issues, as well as current events. This includes the Secretary of State's Office for Net Assessment and Challenge, which is responsible for net assessment and horizon scanning, and the Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre, which, under their Futures Team, provides threat-informed, long-term global strategic context for policy, strategy and capability development.The Defence Command Paper 2023 outlines the Department's long-term vision across the next decade, underpinned by classified assessments of strategic trends and horizon scanning. The Department is committed to delivering the Command Paper's intent and ensuring long-term strategic issues continue to be addressed.

Taiwan Strait: Shipping

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to help safeguard passage through the Taiwan Strait.

James Heappey: The UK has a clear interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. We oppose any action which changes the facts on the ground, raises tensions and hinders the chances of peaceful settlement of the disputes. We will therefore continue to encourage open communication and de-escalation. As a P5 country, we have an interest in upholding international law and freedom of navigation. In 2016 the Permanent Court of Arbitration declared that China has no legal basis to claim its "historic" rights in the South China Sea. Our maritime presence in the region has grown, with the deployment of two Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), HMS SPEY and HMS TAMAR, supporting our persistent presence approach. HMS SPEY last navigated through the Taiwan Strait in January this year and the People's Liberation Army Navy response to her transit was assessed as safe and professional.

Afghanistan: Armed Forces

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of how many former members of Commando Force 333 have died since the fall of Kabul.

James Heappey: It is not possible to provide an accurate estimate for the number of members of Commando Force 333 who have died since the fall of Kabul. Not all former members of CF333 will have applied for relocation under the ARAP scheme, and some ARAP applicants may have changed their contact details or decided to relocate elsewhere without informing us.

Afghanistan: Armed Forces

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many former members of Commando Force 333 remain in Afghanistan.

James Heappey: As of 6 September, 582 confirmed ARAP-eligible people remain in Afghanistan. We are unable to break down our figures by specific job role or unit.

Indo-Pacific Region: Military Alliances

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the implications of the UK-Japan defence agreement are for UK military access in the Indo-Pacific region.

James Heappey: The Reciprocal Access Agreement will facilitate mutually beneficial defence cooperation between both nations by establishing a legal framework for the conduct of defence cooperation and therefore allow us to increase our military activity in the Indo-Pacific region.

Cryptography: Procurement

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason for the contract for the delivery of the Falcon cryptographic solution was terminated.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the of the potential impact of termination of the contract for the delivery of the Falcon cryptographic solution the work of his Department.

James Cartlidge: The Falcon End Crypto Unit obsolescence issue was due to be resolved by developing a new software build for the existing hardware and was placed on contract in September 2020. Due to increased Threat Assessment analysis from the National Cyber Security Centre, it was determined that these plans were no longer suitable for military operations. An alternative, more cost effective, solution to mitigate the new threat level is now being procured to support Falcon. This decision has no impact on the fielded Falcon system and ensures utility until Falcon's Out of Service Date. It has no effect on live service support to UK MOD operations, ensuring Falcon endures and is capable of protecting UK MOD from the increased threat.

Global Response Force

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of (a) establishing and (b) standing up for operations the Global Response Force.

James Heappey: The Global Response Force will complement existing structures already in place, combining extant capabilities to deliver a simplified command structure which is more easily deployable worldwide. There is currently no expectation of additional costs of establishing the Global Response Force, but specific spending decisions beyond 2024-25 will be made in the round at the next Spending Review, as is usual.

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Royal Navy's P2000 fleet continues to support the work of the Border Force in the English Channel.

James Heappey: The Royal Navy P2000 fleet is not currently supporting Border Force operations in the English Channel.

Army: Training

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) original and (b) current programme completion is of the Collective Training Transformation Programme

James Heappey: In accordance with Military Aviation Authority (MAA) regulations, the Department maintains Approved Data to ensure the sustained type airworthiness of the UK Hawk aircraft. Full and mature data sets are in place for both the T1 and T2 Hawk and these are actively managed and assured to comply with the MAA requirements. This data is supplemented through additional instructions should issues arise in service. Type airworthiness data forms an element of the Air System Safety Case (ASSC); extant ASSCs are in place for both marks of UK Hawk.

Artillery

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many AS-90 howitzers are operationally available.

James Cartlidge: The British Army holds and maintains an appropriate amount of all platforms to meet operational requirements. I am withholding further information on the number of AS90 available for operational deployment as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness, or security of the Armed Forces.

Submarines: Repairs and Maintenance

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what refits of Royal Navy submarines there have been by (a) name, (b) year, (c) length of refit, (d) time taken to complete the refit, (e) the contractor undertaking the refit and (f) the cost of the refit in the last ten years.

James Cartlidge: There have been two submarine Deep Maintenance Periods (refits) during the last ten years. HMS Vengeance underwent a refit from March 2012 to February 2016 at a cost of £322 million. HMS Vanguard’s refit and refuel commenced in February 2016. Whilst HMS Vanguard has left His Majesty's Naval Base (HMNB) Devonport, the upkeep project continues with post refit sea trials. I am withholding the estimated cost as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.

Trafalgar Class Submarines

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent estimate he has made of when the last of the Trafalgar class submarines will leave operational service.

James Cartlidge: The planned out-of-service dates for Royal Navy submarines are withheld as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

Merlin Helicopters: Early Warning Systems

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the forecast (a) CDEL and (b) RDEL is for Crowsnest.

James Cartlidge: The forecast outturn for the ongoing CROWSNEST Demonstration & Manufacture contract phase is (a) CDEL £380.9 million and (b) RDEL £3.466 million. Spend associated with the earlier Assessment Phase is not included in this forecast.

Ministry of Defence: Procurement

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department uses British steel standards when detailing steel requirements for its projects.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he requires all steel products procured by his Department to be accredited to (a) BES 6001 and (b) BS 8666 standard.

James Cartlidge: All steel procured is in accordance with British Steel standards where an applicable British Standard exists. Ministry of Defence Policy requires all construction materials for major projects go through a sustainability appraisal and be sourced in a sustainable manner in accordance with BES 6001. BS 8666 is the British Standard for Scheduling, Dimensioning, Bending and Cutting of Steel Reinforcement for Concrete. Any steel produced will meet this standard.

Ministry of Defence: Procurement

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has taken steps to advertise defence procurement opportunities to UK steelmakers; and whether his Department places any obligations on its contractors to do the same.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department considers the use of steel produced in the UK when awarding public procurement contracts.

James Cartlidge: Steel is procured in accordance with Cabinet Office guidelines. Many defence programmes require specialised steels that are not manufactured in the UK; nevertheless, we encourage the sourcing of UK steel wherever it is technically and commercially feasible.Steel for our major defence programmes is generally sourced by our prime contractors from a range of UK and international suppliers. This Government is committed to creating the right conditions in the UK for a competitive and sustainable steel industry. It publishes its future pipeline for steel requirements, together with data on how Departments are complying with steel procurement guidance. This enables UK steel manufacturers to better plan and bid for Government contracts.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many aircraft will be included in the New Medium Helicopter programme.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department intends to release a tender to procure the New Medium Helicopter.

James Cartlidge: I refer the right Hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 20 July 2023 to Question 194668.Military Aircraft: Helicopters (docx, 22.6KB)

HMS Albion

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how long he plans to keep HMS Albion in reduced readiness.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans plan to refit HMS Albion for future operations.

James Cartlidge: HMS Albion will enter a period of extended readiness of approximately six years on completion of her handover to HMS Bulwark. This aligns with the departmental position to have a single Landing Platform Dock continuously at operational readiness, with the other being held in extended readiness on a six-year cycle. We do not disclose the detail of future readiness, or the capability improvement programmes, and their forward-looking availability forecasts, in order to preserve the operational security of the Fleet.

HMS Bulwark

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason HMS Bulwark is not ready for operations.

James Cartlidge: HMS Bulwark is undertaking scheduled maintenance, before transitioning into regeneration to replace her sistership HMS Albion.

Warships

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential risk of gapping the Landing Platform Dock capability.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the planned out of service date is for (a) HMS Albion and (b) HMS Bulwark.

James Cartlidge: On current plans, HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark will retire from service by the end of 2034. As part of the transformation of our Commando Forces, options for future amphibious capability are being developed in the form of the Multi Role Support Ship (MRSS). The timelines for the MRSS are yet to be confirmed. In the period up to Landing Platform Dock going out of service and the onset of MRSS, the Royal Navy will continue to maintain its Littoral Strike capability through its Littoral Response Groups (utilising the existing Landing Ship Dock’s (Auxiliary)) and working closely with the amphibious capabilities of our Partner Nations.

Department for Business and Trade

Business: Regulation

Dr Kieran Mullan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to reduce red tape for businesses.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Government is committed to reducing burdens on business and consumers by reforming regulations where appropriate to make sure they are best suited to the UK and to help grow the economy. We have made a series of regulatory reform announcements as part of our Smarter Regulation programme, including reforms to wine retained EU Law (REUL), product safety regulations and drip pricing. As part of this, we have already reformed or revoked over 1000 pieces of REUL. In addition to the list of around 600 coming in the Bill, the Financial Services and Markets Bill and the Procurement Bill will repeal around 500 pieces of REUL. This means more than 2,000 revocations and reforms are already completed or under way.

Electric Vehicles: Batteries

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will create an independent body to set required safety standards for e-bike and e-scooter batteries.

Kevin Hollinrake: There are no current plans to establish such a body. The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is responsible for the General Product Safety Regulations which set the safety requirements for batteries. OPSS and Local Authority Trading Standards Services already have the powers to remove unsafe products from sale and are using data and intelligence to target unsafe products. OPSS is prioritising work to understand and tackle the risks of e-bikes and e-scooters and has commissioned research into the safety of lithium-ion batteries. This work will help inform how this issue is tackled in future.

Department for Transport

Department for Transport: Buildings

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) has been found within their Department's estate.

Jesse Norman: Survey work is underway and for now, the Government’s focus is on bringing together the information it holds about its estate in one place. This work is being coordinated by the Office of Government Property.

Transport for London: Finance

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding the Government has provided to Transport for London in each of the last five years.

Mr Richard Holden: The government has provided £7.314 billion in transport grant and loans, in the last 5 years, to support TfL. This can be broken down as follows:19/20 £27m20/21 £3.927bn21/22 £1.901bn22/23 £909m23/24 £550m

Rolling Stock

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of uncommitted carriages held by rolling stock companies available for use by train operating companies which wish to lease extra carriages.

Huw Merriman: The Department has not made any such estimate.

Railways: Fares

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the loss of revenue due to fare evasion on the railways in each of the last five years.

Huw Merriman: The Rail Delivery Group estimates that in a normal year, approximately £240 million is lost through fare evasion on Great Britain's railways. Fare evasion is a burden on taxpayers which we expect train companies to robustly manage. In January 2023, the Department increased the Penalty Fare to ensure it provides an effective deterrent for train companies to use.

Train Operating Companies: Fines

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether sanctions are applied to train operating companies that do not provide fully-accessible trains.

Huw Merriman: All rolling stock in use by operators contracted by the Department for Transport comply with relevant accessibility standards. The Office of Rail and Road is the authority responsible for the enforcement of accessibility standards for both mainline and non-mainline rolling stock.

Roads: Ground Water

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the level of contamination of surface water run-off on the road network overseen by National Highways.

Mr Richard Holden: The Department is confident that through the Environment Agency working with National Highways they are able to continually assess, review and improve potential areas of high risk to contamination. National Highways also have rigorous processes in pace to assess and monitor the level of contamination of surface water run off on the road network.

Railways: Weather

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department plans to take to prepare the rail network for adverse weather in winter 2023.

Huw Merriman: The department is working actively with Network Rail, train operating companies and the wider rail industry to ensure their seasonal preparedness plans are in place with clear mitigations outlined to minimise disruption throughout the winter.   Network Rail and train operators have well-established operational measures to manage services safely during incidents affecting railway operations, including extreme weather events.

Great British Railways: Staff

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many officials in his Department have been seconded to Great British Railways.

Huw Merriman: Six officials from the Department for Transport have been seconded to the Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT).

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to encourage garage forecourt operators to introduce charging points for electric vehicles.

Jesse Norman: As set out in the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy, the Government is committed to making electric vehicle charging cheaper and more convenient than refuelling at a petrol station. Together, Government and industry have supported the installation of over 45,500 public charging devices across the UK, including many at petrol stations. Government intervention is focused where an accelerated pace of rollout is most needed. This includes facilitating the deployment of rapid chargepoints at Motorway Service Areas along the strategic road network and transforming the availability of local on-street charging

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many electric vehicle charge points there are in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

Jesse Norman: Within the total number of public charging devices in Lincolnshire, the most recently available published data from the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) show that 51 of these devices were installed through this scheme. i.) Public charging devicesii.) Charging devices funded by the Domestic Recharge Scheme iii.) Charging devices funded by the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme iv.) Charging sockets funded by the Workplace Charging Scheme (a) Lincolnshire 30213814,016663(b) South Holland and The Deepings constituency426257389

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding his Department has provided for local road maintenance in each of the last 10 years.

Mr Richard Holden: Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways network in their area. During the past ten financial years the Department has provided over £11.9 billion to local highway authorities across England outside of London for highway maintenance. This includes formula funding from the Highways Maintenance Block, Pothole Action Fund (2016/17 – 2020/21), Potholes Fund (2020/21-2024/25) and the Wet Weather/Resilience fund.  YearMaintenance Block (£m)Additional Pothole and Other Top Ups (£m)Wet Weather funding (£m)Total2014/15707243 9502015/16*976 1801,1562016/17*97650 1,0262017/18*1,051121501,2222018/19876470 1,3462019/20*1,00125251,0512020/21*976650 1,6262021/22625500 1,1252022/23**625500 1,1252023/24**625700 1,325Total8,4383,25925511,952* Financial years also include grant funding to local authorities through the Highways Maintenance Challenge Fund, a competitive funding element top-sliced from the Highways Maintenance Block.[1]** This includes the funding that is now being paid as part of the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS). [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-highways-maintenance-challenge-fund-schemes

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps with local authorities to introduce a ten-year maintenance plan for local roads.

Mr Richard Holden: There are considerable benefits to providing local highway authorities with multi-year funding certainty. This helps them enter into long-term arrangements with contractors and the supply chain as well as to carry out more planned and proactive maintenance, thus delivering better value for money for the taxpayer. The Department is mid-way through the three-year funding settlement for local highway maintenance that was announced in 2021. This comprises approximately £915 million of capital funding per year for local highways maintenance between 2022/23 and 2024/25 for eligible local highway authorities across England outside of London and the Mayoral Combined Authorities. The Mayoral Combined Authorities which are in receipt of City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) already have five-year funding settlements.

Road Traffic Control

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance his Department has provided to local authorities on whether they should seek approval from his Department for (a) changes to speed limits and (b) the implementation of (i) road safety measures and (ii) traffic calming schemes.

Mr Richard Holden: Local authorities are generally best placed to determine speed limits on the roads for which they are responsible, and the Government has no plans to change this. The Department for Transport issues guidance designed to ensure speed limits are appropriately and consistently set while allowing flexibility to deal with local needs and conditions.

Railways: Pay

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department is seeking to negotiate reforms to the rail network as part of its pay negotiations with train drivers' unions.

Huw Merriman: As the Department is not the employer, negotiations are between the industry and the trade unions. The Rail Delivery Group, on behalf of the train operators, has presented a fair and reasonable offer to the rail trade unions including ASLEF, which included urgent reform to ensure our railways are financially and operationally sustainable for the benefit of passengers, rail workers and the taxpayer as well as delivering a pay rise.

Transport for London: Finance

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to introduce a new funding formula for Transport for London from April 2024 that reduces its reliance on passenger fares.

Mr Richard Holden: Transport in London is devolved to the Mayor of London and therefore any decisions on reducing Transport for London’s reliance on passenger fares are for him to make.

Govia Thameslink Railway: Overcrowding

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average level of overcrowding is on (a) Govia Thameslink and (b) Great Northern Rail.

Huw Merriman: The level of crowding varies significantly by route, time of day and location on individual journeys and there is therefore not an overall average figure for crowding. Govia Thameslink and Great Northern Rail operates a demand led timetable and monitors passenger usage closely on a train-by-train basis. Service provision continues to be kept under review in response to demand and usage data.

Public Transport: Finance

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to agree five-year funding settlements for local transport with local authorities.

Mr Richard Holden: As set out in the Levelling Up White Paper, the Government recognises the benefits of multi-year funding settlements for local transport authorities. Our £5.7 billion City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements programme provides consolidated, long-term capital funding to 8 city regions across England through 5-year settlements from 2022/23 to 2026/27. Decisions on funding settlements for other transport authorities will be a matter for the next Spending Review.

Cars: Insurance

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had recent discussions with representatives from car insurance providers on the potential impact of trends in the price of insurance premiums on policyholders; and whether he is taking steps to increase the transparency of the insurance policy renewal process.

Mr Richard Holden: The setting of premiums is a commercial decision for individual insurers based on their underwriting experience and the Government does not intervene or seek to control the market.

Cars: Insurance

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the trends in the price of car insurance premiums in the past 12 months.

Mr Richard Holden: The setting of motor insurance premiums is a commercial decision for individual insurers based on their underwriting experience. The government does not intervene or seek to control the market.

Speed Limits

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has provided guidance to local authorities on using all-day 85th percentile speeds when determining road speed limits.

Mr Richard Holden: The Department for Transport has issued guidance designed to make sure that speed limits are appropriately and consistently set while allowing for flexibility to deal with local needs and conditions. The guidance asks that local authorities have regard for it, and notes that the 85th percentile speed as well as mean speed are the most commonly used measures of actual traffic speed.

Delivery Services

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has held discussions with Transport for London on delivery drivers driving with learner plates; and if he will make an estimate of the number of delivery drivers in London driving with learner plates.

Mr Richard Holden: The Department has not had any discussions with Transport for London on delivery drivers driving with learner plates. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) chairs the Motorcycle Strategic Focus group which Transport for London are part of. The group considers issues affecting motorcyclists, including challenges with delivery riders in the gig economy, and rider safety of those riding on L plates. The DVSA does not hold data on the number of delivery drivers or riders driving and riding with learner plates.

Speed Limits

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the processes that local authorities use to determine road speed limits.

Mr Richard Holden: The Department keeps the process of setting speed limits under review, but is not currently considering any specific changes.

Speed Limits

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of increasing speed limits on roads where fatalities have recently occurred on the risk to life.

Mr Richard Holden: The Department keeps the process of setting speed limits under review, but is not currently considering any specific changes.

Driving Tests

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for driving tests in (a) Plymouth, (b) the South West and (c) England.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has regarding made of the adequacy of the availability of driving tests in England.

Mr Richard Holden: Since April 2021, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has created over one million extra car test appointments by recruiting new examiners, conducting out-of-hours testing, such as on public holidays and weekends, asking all those qualified to conduct tests but who do not do so as part of their current day job, to return to conducting tests, and asking recently retired driving examiners to return. On average, this has created approximately 40,000 extra car test appointments each month.As of 4 September 2023, there were 560,121 car practical driving tests booked, and 58,382 driving tests available nationally within the 24-week booking window. The table below shows the number of tests booked and available within the 24-week booking window as of 4 September 2023 in (a) Plymouth, (b) the South West and (c) England.LocationCar practical tests bookedCar practical tests available to bookPlymouth2,945241South West27,6203,036England491,31946,602Driving examiner recruitment campaigns continue to be successful but, like many employers, the DVSA is finding the job market extremely competitive. As it moves through each recruitment campaign, the DVSA will continually review and make changes and improvements to its recruitment and selection process, and training courses.The DVSA’s latest recruitment campaign to recruit another 52 driving examiner posts closed in June 2023; 10 of these posts are intended for test centres in the South West.

Scotland Office

UK Trade with EU: Scotland

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the UK's withdrawal from the EU on trends in the level of Scottish (a) imports and (b) exports.

Mr Alister Jack: His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs’ regional trade statistics show that in the year ending March 2023, the overall value of UK trade in goods increased by 18% for exports and by 24% for imports, compared with the previous year. Compared with the year ending March 2022, Scotland’s goods exports to EU countries were worth £22bn (up £4.3bn, or 24%) in March 2023, whilst Scotland’s goods imports from EU countries were worth £12bn (up £3.3bn, or 38%) in March 2023, resulting in a surplus of £10bn. Since the fourth quarter of 2020, the value of EU exports from Scotland has consistently exceeded the value of non-EU exports.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Right to Buy Scheme: Housing Associations

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his Department's planned timetable is for the nationwide roll out of the Voluntary Right to Buy scheme for housing association tenants.

Rachel Maclean: The Government remains committed to the Right to Buy, which since 1980 has enabled over two million social housing tenants to become homeowners.Any future announcements will be set out in the usual way.

Help to Buy Scheme: Enfield North

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many homeowners bought their homes using the Help to Buy Equity Loan Scheme in Enfield North constituency.

Rachel Maclean: Between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2023 797 homes were purchased in Enfield using the Help to Buy Equity Loan Scheme. Further data on the number of households in England which have benefitted from the Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme in each Local Authority area can be found in the latest HtB Equity Loan scheme statistics.

Local Enterprise Partnerships: Finance

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the guidance entitled ​​Local Enterprise Partnerships: integration of LEP functions into local democratic institutions, published on 4 August 2023, how much revenue funding will be re-assigned for local and combined authorities; and whether funding for the activities previously carried out by LEPs will be at the same level in real terms.

Dehenna Davison: As set out in the 4th August 2023 integration guidance, the Government expects that from April 2024, core LEP functions - namely business representation, local economic planning, and the delivery of Government programmes where directed - will be exercised by upper tier local authorities (working in collaboration with other upper tier local authorities where appropriate), where they are not already delivered by a combined authority, or in areas where a devolution deal is not yet agreed. The Government will provide some revenue funding to local and combined authorities in 2024/25 to support them to deliver these core functions. Details of this support will be confirmed in due course.

Life Sciences: North East

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to support life sciences in the North East as part of the North East Devolution Deal.

Dehenna Davison: The new powers and funding agreed through this devolution deal will give the region greater say on how it is run as well as the ability to seize opportunities to innovate and grow. The Health and Life Sciences sector is one of many assets in the North East to be proud of and this deal will bring opportunity to build on that existing sector strength and the excellent work already being done by the likes of the region’s universities, the National Innovation Centre for Ageing and many others, to ensure growth of the sector for the future.

Housing: Concrete

Ms Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what information his Department holds on whether residential buildings were built using RAAC; and how that information was established.

Lee Rowley: I refer the Rt Hon Member to my answer to Question UIN 197493 on 11 September 2023.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Sports: Concussion

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions her Department has had with sports governing bodies on (a) promoting awareness of the potential link between concussion in contact sport and dementia and (b) the development of appropriate safety regulations.

Stuart Andrew: The safety, wellbeing, and welfare of everyone taking part in sport is paramount. National Governing Bodies are responsible for the regulation of their sports and for ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to protect participants from harm, including concussion.The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has worked with sporting bodies and others to develop a single set of shared concussion guidelines for grassroots sport across the UK, which were published on 28 April 2023. We continue to encourage sports governing bodies to adapt the guidelines to their own sport where appropriate.Further research on the links between health, dementia and contact sport is needed to better understand the issue. DCMS has established a new Sports Concussion Research Forum to identify key research questions that need answering in this important area.The government remains committed to working with sports to build on the positive work that is already taking place to mitigate the causes and effects of concussion in sport.

Sportsgrounds: Rubber

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 5 July 2023 to Question 191885 on Sportsgrounds: Rubber, whether her Department has made an assessment of a potential variation of approach in addressing safety concerns for 3G pitches with rubber crumb in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in line with European Committee for Standardisation recommendations.

Stuart Andrew: The government takes seriously concerns regarding Artificial Grass Pitches (AGPs), specifically the presence of rubber infill. Following the UK’s exit from the EU, the regulatory framework for these matters now sits at a UK level (except for Northern Ireland, which will continue to follow EU REACH requirements).The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) commissioned an evidence project, under the UK REACH 2022/23 Work Programme, on intentionally added microplastics, including rubber infill. This will assess any risks they pose, and will inform any future regulatory actions in the UK.The sports councils across the UK (Sport England, Sport Wales, sportscotland, Sport NI) are working together with leading sport bodies and respective governments to appropriately manage the transition away from rubber infill, and to identify suitable alternatives. The Group's latest statement on the issue can be viewed here.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Policy

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps they are taking to help ensure that their Department (a) gives sufficient attention to long term strategic challenges, (b) does not allow current events to slow down work on long term strategic issues and (c) consistently undertakes horizon scanning.

Sir John Whittingdale: The department is working hard to ensure that long term strategic challenges are considered in its day-to-day activity across policy, resources and legislation. Time and attention is dedicated to staying abreast of future issues in order to help the department and its sectors remain resilient to both short and long term impacts.Horizon scanning is one of a number of means through which future trends and challenges are explored to ensure that the department is in the best position possible to adapt, respond and overcome the challenges of the day, as well as those for the longer term.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Buildings

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) has been found within their Department's estate.

Sir John Whittingdale: Survey work is underway. For now, the focus is on bringing together the information we hold about the Government estate into one place. This work is being coordinated by the Office for Government Property.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Art Works

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the contract awarded to Momart Ltd on 25 July 2023, procurement reference 103763, what the series of artworks were for which her Department required the services of an artwork shipping and transportation company.

Sir John Whittingdale: The artwork referenced was transported for display at the British Embassy in Washington DC from the Government Art Collection (GAC), which promotes British art, culture and creativity through displays in UK Government buildings worldwide.Please see the following table, which includes the series of artworks referenced in the request.GACArtist/MakerTitleMediumDate15293Sir Edwin Landseer LutyensDesign for the CenotaphPen and ink and crayon on paperOctober 191918271Frank BowlingKaieteurtoo; Poured PaintingsAcrylic on canvas197519033Andrew Pierre HartAlter-native trace S3:E3s: Valerie and The illusion transmittersoil on canvas 11021John Hoyland28.4.73Acrylic on canvas197319115/1Rana Begum1163 Foilspray paint on aluminium foil202219115/2Rana Begum1164 Foilspray paint on aluminium foil202219115/3Rana Begum1165 Foilspray paint on aluminium foil202219115/4Rana Begum1166 Foilspray paint on aluminium foil202219115/5Rana Begum1167 Foilspray paint on aluminium foil202219115/6Rana Begum1168 Foilspray paint on aluminium foil202219115/7Rana Begum1169 Foilspray paint on aluminium foil202219115/8Rana Begum1170 Foilspray paint on aluminium foil202219115/9Rana Begum1171 Foilspray paint on aluminium foil202219115/10Rana Begum1172 Foilspray paint on aluminium foil202219115/11Rana Begum1173 Foilspray paint on aluminium foil202219115/12Rana Begum1174 Foilspray paint on aluminium foil202219115/13Rana Begum1175 Foilspray paint on aluminium foil202219115/14Rana Begum1176 Foilspray paint on aluminium foil202219115/15Rana Begum1177 Foilspray paint on aluminium foil202219115/16Rana Begum1178 Foilspray paint on aluminium foil202219115/17Rana Begum1179 Foilspray paint on aluminium foil202219115/18Rana Begum1180 Foilspray paint on aluminium foil202218792Laura GannonEnormous Changes at the last minuteAcrylic and ink on primed linen201819003Yinka Shonibare CBEDiana of Versailles (Diana)fibreglass sculpture, hand painted Dutch wax batik, watercolour globe2019 - 20203560Ivon HitchensJune PoppyOil on canvas 18922John RaineyThe Deflatables; XUKporcelain201919039Grayson PerryMorris, Gainsborough, Turner, Rileytapestry20214956Vanessa BellFlowersOil on canvas1930s6416Winifred NicholsonFlower PieceOil on canvaslate 1920s8177Christopher Richard Wynne NevinsonTiller GirlsOil on canvas1926(?)10956Bridget RileyBlaze IVReproduction print196312198Patrick HeronThree Cadmiums, Four DiscsOil on canvasApril 196612716Eileen AgarGuardian of MemoriesOil, crayon and collage on board193817281Yuko ShiraishiGrey and Red (2)Oil on canvas199417329/1Cornelia ParkerFeather that went to the Top of Everest; Up Down Charm Strange; [In the jacket of Rebecca Stevens, the first British woman to climb Mt. Everest]Photogram199717329/2Cornelia ParkerFeather that went to the South Pole; Up Down Charm Strange; [In the sleeping bag of Sir Ranulph Fiennes on his trip across Antarctica]photogram199817329/3Cornelia ParkerFeather from Benjamin Franklin's Attic; Up Down Charm Strange; [With thanks to the Benjamin Franklin Museum]photogram199817329/4Cornelia ParkerFeather from Freud's Pillow; Up Down Charm Strange; [From his couch] [With thanks to the Freud Museum]photogram199817329/5Cornelia ParkerRaven Feather from the Tower of London; Up Down Charm Strangephotogram199817329/6Cornelia ParkerFeather from a Wandering Albatross; Up Down Charm Strange; [With thanks to the British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge]photogram199817513Mark PowerGERMAN BIGHT Thursday 24 August 1995; The Shipping ForecastSilver gelatin print with text sand-blasted on glass200019031Kudzanai-Violet HwamiTongue on Fireoil and acrylic on canvas202119106Lindsey MendickA Girl After My Own Heartglazed ceramic202219107Lindsey MendickA Sense of Occasionglazed ceramic202219108Lindsey MendickNational Treasureglazed ceramic202219109Lindsey MendickShe's Only Gone and Done Itglazed ceramic202219110Lindsey MendickSwelling with Prideglazed ceramic202219111Lindsey MendickYou Do It So Wellglazed ceramic202219114/4Rachel WhitereadUntitled (Bubble); TenTen; TenTenlithograph on paper202218824/15Tacita DeanForeign Policy (screenprint edition); TenTenscreenprint on paper201919016/12Lubaina HimidOld Boat, New Weather; TenTenScreenprint202118007Mark TitchnerEverything Beautiful is Far AwayUnique archival inkjet print on Diabond (aluminium and acrylic sheet)2003-200518023Mark TitchnerOnly the First Step is DifficultUnique archival inkjet print on Diabond (aluminium and acrylic sheet)200518408Alan KitchingPrinting in London 1476-1995Coloured letterpress199516803Joe TilsonApollo PythionLift ground etching199016352Sir Howard HodgkinSandHand-coloured lithograph1983-198516351Sir Howard HodgkinBloodHand-coloured lithograph1983-198512777R B KitajFour in America; In Our Time: Covers for a Small Library After the Life for the Most PartScreenprint197018556Raymond SpurrierCarmelScreenprint 18846Corin SwornThe Slow Liquidity of GlassC-type photograph on paper201310094Alistair GrantBlush IILithograph 10093Alistair GrantBlush ILithograph 17408Boyd and EvansWupatki, ArizonaCibachrome photograph199914496Bryan OrganStars and StripesColour etching and aquatint197614495Bryan OrganStars and StripesColour etching and aquatint197614494Bryan OrganStars and StripesColour etching and aquatint197614493Bryan OrganStars and StripesColour etching and aquatint197618882Shauna McMullan165 Stars, Found in GWL Lending Librarydigital pigment fine art print on paper201218778Walter StonemanSir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (1874-1965)Photograph194117616Marta MarcéUntitledLithograph200118555Raymond SpurrierRubber Stamp Works, New OrleansScreenprint 13368Noel ForsterFairfieldAcrylic on linen197718146/4Hew LockeThe Prize; The Rivington Place PortfolioDigital images with silkscreen cut into 43 pieces and re-collaged onto a three dimensional object, with200611512John HoylandGrey Blue on Green; The New York SuiteScreenprint197111513John HoylandRed Block on Pink; The New York SuiteScreenprint1971

Cinemas: Tickets

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what regulation is in place for the sale of cinema tickets within the UK.

Sir John Whittingdale: The sale of cinema tickets in the UK is subject to the general consumer law with associated rights and protections. These are outlined on gov.uk here.Furthermore, cinemas are required, under the Licensing Act 2003, to have secured a premises licence in order to screen films to the public. These licences include conditions requiring cinemas to restrict the admission of children to films in accordance with the film classification given by the Licensing Authority. In most circumstances, these are provided by the British Board of Film Classification (as the designated authority under the Video Recordings Act 1984), however the local Licensing Authority is ultimately responsible for issuing permission for a film to be shown in their locality. You can find out more about the requirements for showing films in public on gov.uk here.

Athletics: Birmingham

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the financial impact on Birmingham of hosting the 2026 European Athletics Championships.

Stuart Andrew: Major sporting events contribute a wide range of benefits for host cities and the entire UK. Sport is estimated to be worth over £38 billion a year to the UK’s economy, and major sporting events play a significant role in delivering continued growth across many key sectors.The 2022 Commonwealth Games, hosted in Birmingham, were a huge success, coming in under budget and delivering at least £870 million gross value add (GVA) for the economy. Over half of this was generated in the West Midlands specifically.Following the Section 114 notice on 5th September, Birmingham City Council is developing a financial management plan on future spending, including the 2026 European Athletics Championships.

Loneliness: Cost of Living

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of increases in the cost-of-living on trends in the level of social isolation; and whether her Department is taking steps to help tackle social isolation.

Stuart Andrew: Many people experience loneliness and social isolation, and the government is committed to building a more connected society, where everyone is able to build meaningful relationships. Having strong social relationships plays an important role in our physical and mental wellbeing, and government, local councils, health systems and voluntary and community sector organisations all have an important role to play in tackling loneliness.The Community Life Survey, which the department publishes annually, measures loneliness and collects data on people’s social interactions and support networks. Last year we also published research into the factors associated with loneliness in adults, and found that being on a lower income or unemployed was a contributing factor. We also engage regularly with stakeholders like the Jo Cox Foundation, who are monitoring the impact of cost of living pressures on individuals and charities providing services that aim to reduce loneliness.The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is also delivering the ‘Know Your Neighbourhood Fund’ to boost volunteering and reduce loneliness in 27 disadvantaged areas across England. The £30 million fund will create thousands of opportunities to bring people together, allow them to develop skills, build relationships and feel more connected to their community.As announced at the Spring Budget, the department is also delivering a £101.5 million package of support for charities and community organisations in England. As part of this, the £76 million Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund is currently open until 16 October 2023 for applications from frontline organisations, including those that tackle social isolation, that are seeing increased demand for their services and increased delivery costs because of cost of living pressures.

Greyhound Racing

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to support the promotion of the greyhound racing industry; and if she will make a statement.

Stuart Andrew: The government acknowledges the contribution that greyhound racing makes to our economy. There are 21 licensed stadiums in Great Britain, regulated by the main industry regulatory body, the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB). The GBGB have estimated that the British greyhound industry employs over 7,000 people across the country, with an annual turnover estimated at £2.6 billion. In 2019/20, betting on greyhound racing raised £35m through the General Betting Duty.The GBGB receives funds through the British Greyhound Racing Fund (BGRF) in the form of voluntary contributions from bookmakers on betting turnover on licensed greyhound racing. In January 2019 the Government announced that it had secured a new funding commitment from five of the largest online bookmakers, to help ensure the welfare of greyhounds continues to be protected and improved. This was in addition to the existing voluntary payments made to the BGRF from most betting operators that benefit from greyhound racing, which sit alongside commercial deals between the betting and racing industries. In March 2021 the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) announced a further four bookmakers had agreed to begin contributing to the Fund. This means that every member of the BGC who offers bets on greyhound racing now contributes to the Fund.The government has welcomed the GBGB’s welfare targets, contained in the Greyhound Commitment and its long term, national welfare strategy, ‘A Good Life for Every Greyhound’.The department has held discussions with the greyhound racing industries on a range of issues and will continue to encourage any remaining bookmakers that have not signed up to the voluntary arrangements to do so.

Football: Afghanistan

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with FIFA on the Afghanistan Women's National Team.

Stuart Andrew: I have not had discussions with FIFA on the Afghanistan Women’s National Team. However, I was delighted to attend their training session and to meet the players during my recent visit to Australia for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, in an event arranged by the Australian Government to highlight their situation.

Buildings: Concrete

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the potential risk posed by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete used in (a) leisure, (b) recreation and (c) sporting facilities.

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to identify (a) leisure, (b) recreation and (c) sporting facilities that are affected by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on school (a) sporting and (b) leisure buildings that are affected by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete. .

Stuart Andrew: Individual building owners and managers are responsible for health and safety, including responding to safety alerts such as RAAC.On the 1st May 2019, the Standing Committee on Structural Safety issued a safety alert on the failure of RAAC planks. Following this, the Cabinet Office wrote to all Government Departments and NHS England wrote to NHS Trusts highlighting the latest developments and advice.Since then, individual organisations have been surveying properties and, depending on the assessment of the RAAC, decided to either monitor it, prop it up, or replace it. This is in line with Institution of Structural Engineers guidance.

Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society

Andrew Lewer: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will meet with the Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society to discuss the proposal of establishing a Freelancer Commissioner.

Sir John Whittingdale: The Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) is committed to engaging with and supporting freelancers, particularly in the creative industries. As part of the Sector Vision, published in June 2023, HM Government and industry have agreed to work together to address the recommendations of the Good Work Review, published in February by the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre, and co-funded by DCMS, which highlight specific areas where we can improve job quality and working practices for freelancers.DCMS officials regularly engage with publishing organisations and individuals to understand the challenges and opportunities facing the sector to inform policy-making. For example, a roundtable discussion is being held with industry representatives on 14 September 2023 to review the impact of AI across the publishing landscape, which the Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society will join and contribute to, as part of DCMS's sector engagement on AI.

Attorney General

Sentencing

James Wild: To ask the Attorney General, with reference to her Department's transparency data on Outcome of unduly lenient sentence referrals updated on 5 September 2023, for what reason ULS reference 461 2023 is listed as application withdrawn.

Michael Tomlinson: Under the ULS scheme, the Law Officers may apply to the Court of Appeal to refer to it a sentence which appears unduly lenient. The decision to make such an application is kept under continual review.Where an application to the Court has been made and further information changes their analysis as to whether the sentence should be referred, the application is withdrawn.